Mission Impossible
by Loopstagirl
Summary: Being selected for his first solo mission should have been exciting for Captain Scott Tracy of the Air Force. But there was something else at play. Something dangerous and deadly. Something that could cost him more than his life.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners._

 _Time for a long story! I can't say how excited I am about this considering how long it has been since I was last able to get something moving properly. As per usual, thanks to Bee for being a star and beta-ing through all my errors for me!_

 _Hope you like it!_

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Scott sighed, lying back and draping an arm across his eyes. He hoped it would be enough for his comrades not to talk to him. A third plane this week hadn't returned from a standard scouting mission. His gut told him something was amiss - that they weren't being told everything. A gut feeling wouldn't get him answers though. If the mission was being kept a secret, Scott knew they had good reasons for it. It didn't make him feel any better.

Kevin Briggs had been a good pilot and better navigator. Scott was having a hard time accepting it was the weather that had forced him down. Something didn't seem right and Scott wanted to know what. Not just because Kevin had been a friend, but because of his reputation. Kevin was a good flier; Scott didn't want people assuming it was his skills that had landed him in trouble.

The second plane vanishing had aroused his suspicions, but this was affecting _his_ team now. He was their leader - their _captain_ \- and it was down to him to keep them safe. No one knew who would be chosen next, but Scott hoped it wasn't another of his boys. They were a team and these solo missions were lessening their numbers each time someone behind a desk crooked a finger.

"Captain?"

"Go away, Lieutenant." Scott's voice was a pathetic moan. He was in the barracks, dressed in casual training clothes rather than uniform. He wasn't a captain in here, he was just plain Scott Tracy. The same Scott Tracy, however, who was attempting to figure out why he was a team member short. There was nothing plain about him when he was in this sort of mood.

Feeling the bed dip under another's weight, Scott groaned.

"That was an order, Tom."

"Sorry."

Scott finally drew away his arm and propped himself up on his elbows. Lieutenant Tom Lampert was a good man and Scott's closest friend in the Air Force. He had as thrilled as Scott when Scott had received his commission, despite it having been between the two of them. Scott knew as soon as he had opened his mouth that Tom was not going to obey the order. He also knew, however, that Tom wasn't apologising for not doing as he was told. He was saying sorry for the fact there would be another empty bunk tonight and none of them really knew why.

"What's the official story this time?" Deciding if Tom was going to stay he might as well prove useful, Scott sat up properly, swinging his legs over the bed and resting his hands on his knees. Tom was sitting in an identical position and Scott knew they were both too on edge to properly relax.

"That he ran afoul of winds off the South Coast and it brought him down. Unlike the other two though, they are only labelling him MIA."

"Not KIA?"

"Nope. That means…"

"They think Kevin is still out there." Scott was on his feet before he had finished speaking, hope flaring to life as he stared down at Tom. The look on his friend's face, however, stopped him.

"What?"

"The boys already asked that."

Scott knew he wasn't going to like what Tom said next. He had returned to the barracks on hearing the news, wanting to pull himself together before facing his men. He was used to protecting those he watched out for, not failing them. He should have stayed out there though to hear what was being said. He was the captain of this small unit, but all of his men were just as protective of each other. He wasn't the only one having doubts about the way scouting missions were going wrong.

"They aren't sending a search party."

Scott stared. He couldn't find the words, injustice burning deep within him.

"They think he might be alive and they aren't planning on trying to bring him home?" Scott said.

"Not officially, anyway." It was lucky Tom knew his friend well, for even as Scott half turned towards the door, his wrist had been caught and he was tugged back down onto the bed.

"Don't go out there until you've calmed down," Tom cautioned, but Scott wasn't listening.

"Do they know that he is married? That she is expecting? They think he is alive and they are just going to leave him out there? Tom, this isn't right!"

"I know, buddy, I know. But… you know how we don't think they are being truthful about the missions?" Scott nodded slowly, wondering if Tom was on to something. "I don't think they are being truthful about the location either."

"Are you sure?"

"No. But I was in the control room twenty minutes before the distress call supposedly came through. The co-ordinates they have given us for where they think he has landed? I know Kevin is good, but I'm not sure even you would have made that distance in twenty minutes, not if the conditions were as bad as they are saying."

"What are you saying? He came down somewhere else and they aren't telling us?"

Tom nodded and Scott's heart pounded hard. Cover-ups had never been anything more than stories. The idea of one actually happening… This time, Tom wasn't quick enough to stop Scott from jumping to his feet.

"Where are you going?"

"To find out what the hell is going on before they put any more of my men in danger." Scott knew Tom wouldn't stop him; he wouldn't cross Scott's tone of voice. Leaving him there, Scott left the barracks.

Blinking in the bright sunlight, Scott paused as he tried to work out what to do. He knew he couldn't just walk in there and demand answers, regardless of how he was feeling. It had never worked with his father growing up; it wasn't going to work now. He had to find proof; some hint there was more going on than was being reported.

"Captain Tracy?" Hearing his name being called, Scott turned. One of the commanders was heading towards him and Scott instantly saluted.

"Sir?"

"Where are you going?"

"To have a look at the flight chart of Kevin Briggs, Sir." Anyone could access the charts, permission didn't need to be granted. There was nothing out of the ordinary about Scott wanting to see the records, but a look flashed across the commander's face. It was so fast Scott wasn't sure whether he had seen it or just imagined it, but then the man nodded.

"Understandable. I'll accompany you."

"Sir." Scott knew he had no choice and fell into step with the man. Doubt gnawed at him as they crossed the ground to the control centre. The commander pushed open the door and the three men manning the room instantly saluted.

"The flight chart for Briggs, Lieutenant."

"Sir." One of the men instantly moved away and Scott watched closely. His instincts were keeping him on guard. He hadn't partly raised four younger brothers to ignore feelings like that. The man rummaged around on the far side of the room, eventually coming back over with a cluster of papers in his hand.

"Captain Tracy wanted to see them." The commander nodded his head at Scott. Scott took the papers, laying them out on a table and leaning over them. He couldn't see what it was Tom was getting at; this plotted a normal course that made sense with the co-ordinates that had been reported as being Kevin's last contact point. But if everything was normal, then why was the commander breathing down his neck as he looked?

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Scott looked up with a nod of thanks, but his brow was crumpled and troubled.

"I hope that has put your mind at ease, Captain."

Scott nodded at the commander's question, but his attention was still held the maps. As the commander turned away to drill the men about the activity of the day, Scott's hand moved back towards them, making sure no one saw him.

A small piece of paper was tucked in the back of the pile. It had slipped a little, causing it to stick out rather than being lined up with military precision. Scott carefully slid it out, making sure he didn't rustle the others and give away what he was doing. Scott had a strong feeling it wasn't supposed to be in the pile in the first place.

He didn't have much time to look, especially as he was certain he shouldn't be seeing it at all. But by the time the commander turned back to him, asking if he had all the information he needed ease his men's minds, Scott nodded. He did have all the information he needed - everything he required to know they had been lying about Kevin's position. He knew the smaller chart was the true one, the markings the correct ones. He allowed the commander to steer him out of the room and with a final salute, he headed back to the barracks.

He stopped on the way. Tilting his head back, he breathed deeply and tried to process his thoughts. Why were they covering up where Kevin had been? He had no idea. That worried him more than he could say and Scott returned to the bunks.

Tom was waiting for him inside. Scott knew his expression was revealing they had been right thinking something wasn't adding up. It wasn't unusual for missions to be kept quiet, but there had been too much secrecy about this one for it to have just been a scouting trip.

"What did you find out?"

"The reason why they won't launch a rescue operation. Any plane heading to the co-ordinates that are being officially recorded will be miles out from where Kevin last made contact. Looks like you were right about his position."

"What?" Tom breathed and Scott knew they were thinking the same. He hadn't truly thought he would find evidence to indicate they were right about a cover up.

"The official chart got caught up with the others. I wasn't supposed to see it. But they've faked his entire flight path."

"So what the hell was Kevin really doing?"

"Damned if I know. I need to check on the others." Scott knew it was expected of him as a captain to make sure the rest of his men were safe. But he was grateful he had such responsibilities - it took his mind off the unease feeling sitting heavily in his stomach. He knew how to do this. He had been easing troubled minds since he could remember. He had been doing it since Virgil had been born and possible before that when John had come into the world.

Leaving the barracks again, Scott turned in the opposite direction and began moving across the fields towards the training areas. He knew his team were hard at work there; it was where he and Tom were supposed to be. But hearing about the loss of one of their team had given them a free pass to take some time out to collect their thoughts. Scott wasn't sure if it had helped or not, but he couldn't think of that now. Right now, he had to focus on the others.

A couple of hours reassured him they were as well as could be expected at the sudden loss. Their squad usually did things in formation, it was a rarity that one of them had been chosen for a solo mission and had been a cause for celebration amongst them. But Scott knew they all regretted the jealousy they had felt at Kevin's selection. It could have easily been them now reported missing. But Scott wouldn't have been a captain if he didn't take his job seriously and he had made sure they were all coping as well as expected given the circumstances. He kept his suspicions to himself. They were dealing with enough over Kevin's loss, he didn't want to burden them further until he had actual proof.

It was growing dark by the time Scott meandered back towards the barracks. He was exhausted and wondered whether he could get away with putting in a call home tonight considering he had been slacking off all afternoon. Enough senior officers had seen him dealing with his men to enable him to get away with not doing any physical work, but Scott knew not to push it. Their loss might have hit them hard, but it wasn't unheard of. They were in the military after all; grief would only be tolerated so far. Anyone truly struggling received help, and if you didn't seek help, you were expected to perform your duty.

Yawning and running a hand through his hair, Scott paused. If he veered to the left, he would be end up at the head offices where he would be able to make the call. If he went right, the only thing waiting for him would be his bed. Before he had reached a decision, however, Scott frowned as he watched someone slip out of the barracks.

Tom might not have wanted to have be seen, but Scott had done enough night-time exercises with the man to recognise his profile. Frowning, Scott stayed where he was, watching as his friend moved swiftly across the open space. Scott groaned when he realised where Tom was going and jogged after the man. Not only was he the man's captain and therefore responsible for him, Tom was also his friend. If he was about to do what Scott thought he was, the captain wanted to make sure Tom didn't get into trouble.

He caught up with Tom behind the control room, rounding the corner just as Tom had begun working on the back door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Despite his anger at Tom for being so reckless, Scott remembered to keep his voice down in case anyone else was around. Tom still jumped violently, only relaxing when he saw it was Scott.

"You said yourself they didn't intend for you to see that chart. I just want a look at it before they destroy it."

"How do you know they haven't already?"

"I don't. But I need to try, Scott, please. For Kevin? For his wife… we need to find out what happened to him."

"Tom, you can't break in there…"

"What if it was me? Would you do anything you could to find out what had happened to me? What if it was you? Wouldn't you want the truth to be told to your family rather than a cover-up operation meaning no one even went looking for you?"

Scott froze, cursing Tom under his breath for knowing him too well. Tom knew full well that Scott would have wanted his family to be given true closure about what had happened to him if anything ever went amiss. While Scott was getting his brain in gear to know this was a really bad idea, Tom had already broken the lock on the door and darted inside.

"Tom!" Scott hissed, taking a step closer but not entering.

"I won't be five minutes. Keep lookout if you are just going to stand there."

Scott bit his lip, glancing around him. He wanted to enter the room, although he hadn't yet worked out whether it was to look properly at the chart himself or to pull Tom out. In the end, he realised his thoughts had already taken up half the time that Tom had promised and al he had to do was stand there for another few minutes before going to bed. He too wanted to know what had happened to Kevin and a glance at the true chart had sparked his curiosity.

"Hurry up!" he called softly into the room, trying to work out how Tom even knew where to look without turning on the light. Judging by the curse he received in response, the man didn't. Eventually, he called out that he had found the map and Scott had been right in thinking the co-ordinates were off. Just as Scott made to make a comment about what they were supposed to do with the information now, he saw a light heading towards them.

"Get down and shut up!" he hissed at Tom, pushing the door shut again and moving away from it. Making sure he kept quiet, Scott began to edge away from the control room, hoping that if anyone did see him, they wouldn't think anyone was inside. But Scott's luck didn't hold and no sooner had he rounded the corner of the building, he ran into the same commander who had escorted him there earlier.

"Tracy."

"Sir."

Scott made to sidle past, acting as if he had just been out for a walk, but the commander caught his arm.

"Check the room."

One of the men who had been tailing him swiftly ran around the corner and Scott closed his eyes. He heard the door being opened – proof enough that it had been forced open previously – but there was no sound of Tom being discovered. The pilot sent to investigate reappeared.

"Lock bust, Sir."

"What are you doing, Tracy?"

"Nothing, Sir." Scott held the commander's gaze for a long moment, willing himself not to look away. He had mastered this look when he was thirteen, he wasn't about to break now.

"Why were you forcing your way into the control room?"

"Why would I do that?" Scott knew the man had heard the edge in his voice. He was accusing the commander of hiding something, and judging by the way his eyebrows shot up, Scott knew he had hit the truth. He hadn't admitted that he had seen the chart, but it was clear the commander wasn't taking a chance.

"Take him to the holding cells and inform his superior. I expected more of you, Tracy."

Scott didn't offer any resistance as he was led away, but he knew the commander was wrong. He had done exactly as was expected of him; he had protected Tom from being discovered. With a longing sigh when he thought of the bed waiting for him back at his barracks, Scott let himself be steered in the opposite direction as he was instead taken to the holding cells.

It was just another barrack in reality, but one where the beds were in individual rooms and the lock was on the outside rather than the inside. Scott had only been in there when escorting men who had a little too much to drink on a night off and he found himself feeling slightly apprehensive.

"Don't worry, Captain. I'm sure Commander Evans will put in a good word for you, you did save his life after all."

Scott attempted to grin, knowing his escort thought he was nervous about the whole ordeal rather than just a night in the cells. But it did give him hope, knowing if anyone on this base would believe him about a cover-up, it would be the old commander. Then again, Scott thought bitterly, he had no proof that the commander wasn't in on it himself.

His thoughts went no further than that by the time they had reached the cells. The first door was unlocked and another man handed him a roll of clothes. Knowing he had no choice, Scott pushed the door to and quickly changed out of his flying gear and into the plain clothing. As he handed out his belongings and the door was locked behind him, Scott sighed and sank down on the bed.

Was he inventing all of this just because he refused to accept that Kevin had been lost? It certainly reminded him how even an experienced pilot could be brought to ground by the weather. Gordon always said nothing could withstand nature and sometimes it was better to admit defeat rather than fighting against her. Thinking about his brother allowed Scott's mind to drift from his own predicament. Would Gordon hear about this the way Scott heard about his adventures with WASP? The irresponsible young man Scott had left at home when he had signed up certainly seemed to have turned his act around and Scott couldn't be more proud of him. Glancing around at the bare room and lying back, Scott grinned. It wouldn't surprise him if Gordon would be proud of his big brother for managing to get himself into trouble like this.

Whether Scott truly fell asleep or just dozed on and off, he couldn't have said. Thoughts of his family soon morphed into thoughts of Kevin and he wondered where the young man was. Had he truly survived the crash and was out there now, waiting for a rescue that wasn't coming? Or had the weather – or whatever was truly going on – killed him? Not knowing if he had been asleep or not, Scott had no idea if it was the sound of the lock being turned or images of Kevin lying motionless that had him jerking upright with a gasp. As alertness properly returned to him, Scott scrambled to his feet and swiftly gave a salute as Commander Evans walked in.

The old man simply regarded him for a long moment and sighed, sinking down onto the bed.

"At ease, son."

Scott let the tension drain from his body, but stood stock still as he stared at the commander, biting his lip.

"Well, out with it then."

Scott knew he should have known the man would realise he was trying to work out how to say something.

"Sir, I…"

"Have been a complete and utter fool. Yes, I know that, you don't need to tell me. Come on, out with what you have to say."

"I don't think Kevin Briggs was brought down by bad weather and I don't think he is at the co-ordinates reported to us in briefing. Sir." Only just remembering to tag the correct form of address onto his sentence, Scott held his breath. Despite his age, Commander Evans' eyes were bright and alert and he slowly stood up, regarding the young captain closely. Scott knew he had no proof, not unless Tom had been able to take the chart as evidence. But even that would land them in all sorts of trouble in regards to why they had it. If Evans believed him, it was because he was taking Scott at his word.

"You know you are young for your station, Tracy?"

"Sir?" Scott knew this; he knew it had led to hours of debate about whether he should have been given the commission or whether it should have been given to Tom as the man was a few years older.

"You know I fought for your case after you saved my life?"

"And I will always be grateful to you, Sir, but I really don't see why you are telling me this now."

"I'm telling you now, boy," Scott just about held back his flinch, "because the only reason you saved my life was because you listened to your instincts."

Scott stared. Commander Evans had a way of guessing what people were thinking. But right now, Scott could read the old man as easily. He could tell by the look on his face he had had no idea about the cover-up. Unlike the rest of the commanders that Scott detested so much, Commander Evans wouldn't take a desk job despite the fact they were almost begging him to. Instead, he spent his time training the new recruits. With him still technically being out in the field, Scott suddenly realised there was no reason whatsoever for Commander Evans to know about anything else that might have been going on.

"You're listening to your instincts again now, aren't you?" The commander's voice was soft and quiet, and Scott knew the man believed him even if he wouldn't come out and say it.

"Yes, Sir. The co-ordinates don't match and they are hiding the exact route that he took. They are reporting him being MIA but won't authorise a rescue operation."

"And you what? Thought you'd break in, steal the map and show it off as official evidence they have been lying before flying to the rescue?"

"I…"

"If what you are saying is true, Tracy, then those powers that be aren't going to let you off this base without finding out exactly what you know and how you know it."

Scott felt the colour drain from his face, wondering if he had just made a very big mistake. He should have gone straight to bed rather than following Tom. But deep down, he knew if he could rewind the clock, he would have done the same thing again.

"What do I do?" he blurted out, worry coursing through him.

"You grovel," Evans shrugged, looking like it was the most obvious answer in the world. "I know you would have kept your head on your shoulders and not accused anyone of covering things up, so you can just pretend the loss of your friend made you a little wild."

"But something is happening…"

"You know that and I know that. But they don't need to know that you know that, do they?"

"But what about whatever they are covering up?"

"You just leave that to me, lad."

Scott grinned, realising that Commander Evans not only believed him when he said something was going on, but was planning on doing something about it. If anyone could make sure the correct procedures were followed in order to try and bring Kevin home, it would be him.

"Thank you," Scott whispered and he wasn't sure if he had ever meant the words as much as he did in that moment. Evans nodded at him, clearly seeing that Scott was going to follow his lead on this one rather than trying anything else heroic and moved towards the door.

"Now how about we try and get you back to that squad of yours?"

Scott nodded and stepped back, allowing Evans to approach the door first and secure his release. But just as the man knocked sharply in order to be let out, the door opened. Scott found himself taking a step back, his eyes on the floor after saluting as the same commander as before walked in. The worry was gone from his face and Scott's stomach churned at the smile the man flashed his way.

"Captain Tracy?"

"Sir?"

"Well done, Captain. You've just earned yourself the next solo mission. Bring him to the office." Just like that, the men all turned and walked out again. But Scott knew this was no ordinary mission he had just been selected for. He had just been volunteered to be the next pilot to go missing.

And one glance at Commander Evans' face showed there was absolutely nothing the man could do to get him out of this.

He was in trouble, big time.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for all of the reviews. A special thank you to those who I can't respond directly - I really appreciate your kind words._

 _Hope you like this next chapter._

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Scott stayed staring straight ahead as they marched through the base. He could feel the weight of the stares of his fellow pilots and knew how this must look; senior commanders leading the way and him following with a man on either side. He didn't need to look to know the shocked looks on the men's faces. He was known for having risen through the ranks, saving a commander's life and never taking a wrong step. Scott knew if bets had been taken on who would be next to be involved a disciplinary action, the odds would have been heavily against him.

If he was honest, Scott wasn't sure a disciplinary was what was happening now. It might be the official story, but Scott knew it wasn't the truth. Not considering the way the commander had told him he would be next to potentially fly into the same trap as the others.

He knew something was indeed being covered up. Why else would they be keeping him quiet? Scott had nothing concrete – a different location to the reported one, but that was all. Not enough evidence to try and accuse them of a cover-up operation - not without looking like a fool. But they clearly weren't taking that chance. It was only Commander Evans walking directly behind him that stopped Scott from completely freaking out over what was happening. The commander was fair; he wouldn't let anything happen without a reason.

Scott had never considered how big the base was before, but it took forever to get across to the head offices. They were in a shaded corner of the compound and Scott shivered as he stepped out of the bright sunlight. The cell hadn't made him feel like this. Commander Grigson led the way, trying to look important as he unlocked the door. But Evans held up his hand.

"I don't think we need the escort any longer, Commander."

The other man scowled, not liking the fact they were the same rank and he couldn't undermine Evans, but nodded. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the men and Scott breathed a sigh of relief. He felt marginally better for not being marched into the building in formation. Nodding at Evans, Scott tried to convey his gratitude, but the man was already moving forward and didn't so much as glance back at him.

"Come along, Tracy!" His voice rang with authority and Scott hurried after the man. He had never been able to disobey a tone like that, whether it had been his superiors or his father. Evans was striding down the corridor at a fast pace and Scott had to run to keep up with him. He had just caught up when Evans knocked sharply on a door Scott had never approached before. As a voice bid them enter, Grigson finally drew level. Evans paid him no attention and pushed open the door.

"General Hanks, Captain Tracy."

Scott snapped a salute, grateful that Evans realised he had no idea what the general's name was. Judging by the look on Hanks' face, he had no idea who Scott was, either.

Hanks – a powerfully built man – slowly looked up from his desk. His eyes spoke of years of action in the field, but the sag in his shoulder betrayed his age. He glanced from Evans to Grigson, bypassing Scott completely.

"Commander Grigson, what is going on?"

"Operation Scorpion, Sir."

"I wasn't aware we were telling mere captains about Scorpion?" Hanks' voice was mild, but the disapproval was obvious. Grigson balked, shooting Scott a furious look before pulling himself together.

"We're not, Sir. Tracy was caught snooping."

"I was not! You accompanied me to the control room earlier; you were the one acting oddly…"

"Captain, stand down."

Scott swallowed, immediately taking a step backwards and making sure he wasn't looking at any of the men directly. He was used to following orders. But he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such an accusing tone when all Grigson had actually seen him do was check the flight records. He shouldn't have been near the control room. But Grigson had no proof he went in. He was never going to tell them he had been attempting to cover for his friend. He might have no evidence of a cover-up, but they also had no evidence to prove he was aware anything was going on.

"If what Tracy is saying is true, Grigson, you are the one to have alerted his suspicions. Wait outside."

"But Sir…"

The general fixed Grigson with a look that had him scurrying outside.

"You too, Evans. I would like to talk to the young captain here in private."

"Yes, Sir." Unlike Grigson, Evans saluted and strode out confidently. Scott swallowed, not quite being sure what to do with himself.

"Do you want a drink, Captain?"

"Sir?" Scott was grateful none of his brothers were around to hear how much his voice had sounded like a yelp.

"Don't look so stunned, boy. I know Grigson's stupidity. Someone looks at him odd and he thinks they know everything there is to know about anything. But… I've heard about you, Tracy. Saved Evans life, did you not?"

"Yes, Sir." Scott only just kept his voice above a mumble and he wasn't sure how he should stand. He ended up with his hands clasped behind his back and his head held high. Hanks seemed to realise he wouldn't be relaxing any time soon and nudged over a chair with his foot.

"Sit."

Scott obeyed without thinking about it, maintaining his rigid position.

"Never taken a wrong step since you arrived. I once met your father, you know. He was as good at following orders."

Scott didn't say anything. He wasn't sure what Hanks wanted him to say. Instead, he sat bolt upright in his chair and wished the man would get to the point. The general looked at him long and hard for a moment before sighing.

"Grigson might be an idiot, but he's not wrong. You wouldn't have been near that control room unless you had a good reason to be. I don't think you went in there; you are too smart for that. But I do think you saw something, something gave you a reason to doubt what you were being told and one way or another you were going to find things out."

"I didn't go in that control room, Sir." Scott managed to somehow keep his voice steady. He was telling the truth; he hadn't gone in. But Tom had and Scott had known about it. Not only that, he had helped.

"Of course. So if I were to show you this-," The general reached over and pulled something out of his desk. Scott automatically shifted in curiosity. "You would have never seen it before?"

He put it down on the table and Scott sighed, knowing he had been caught out. It was the flight chart from Kevin's last flight. But it was the correct one, the one that Scott had found buried under the fakes. He kept his face calm.

"I think you know the answer to that, Sir." He knew there was no point in lying. The chances were Grigson knew he had seen it. Hell, maybe the man had put it there on purpose just to see what Scott would do.

"I thought as much. I presume you want to know what is going on?"

Scott didn't think it was possible to sit up straighter, but he did so. Being told hadn't crossed his mind; he assumed he would be sent off never to be seen again. He had no idea when he had become so dramatic. This was the Air Force, they didn't send people off to their deaths without a reason. Even Kevin's true mission would have been recorded somewhere. Some of his thoughts must have shown in his face for Hanks suddenly laughed.

"Good God, Captain, what did you think we were going to do? As much as Grigson likes to think he has that sort of power, you saw the way Evans controlled the situation. The man is all words. But I have a feeling he has picked you out for another reason other than to stop you snooping around. I presume that means he thinks you are good."

Scott blushed. Grigson had never given any indication that he had been impressed with his flying skills, but it explained a few things. After all, he had accompanied him into the control room - he must have guessed Scott was suspicious. Lurking around a room at night – even if the lock was broken – was not enough to have him sent to the cells, not given his clean track record.

But as his blush faded, Scott shifted. Did that mean Grigson had orchestrated the whole thing and Scott was being set up?

"Your rank and age also imply you are good. So, Tracy… Do you want to know why there is the need for secrecy?" Hanks didn't wait for an answer, but opened his desk again. This time, he pulled out an entire file and placed it on the table in front of Scott. Scott glanced but didn't dare move until Hanks nodded.

"Go on, take a look."

Wondering if this was going to give him answers over what had happened to Kevin, Scott picked the file up. It was bulky, full of documents. He let it fall open on his lap, instantly frowning at the rough sketches being revealed to him. He flicked through, ignoring Hanks as he tried to work out what it was he was seeing.

It seemed to be some prototype of a weapon, but it was unlike anything Scott had ever seen. From what he could gather, it fired a laser beam that destroyed anything in its path. As he flicked through, Scott got the impression the machine had been shelved before production started because of concerns and everyone had forgotten about it. Although if that truly was the case, then Scott knew he wouldn't be sitting in this office right now. When he voiced his thoughts out loud, Hanks nodded.

"This is the second copy of the file. The first was stolen. We know who the leak was and that has been dealt with. What we don't know, however, is the identity of the man who bought the plans. We do know his whereabouts…"

"He's built it, hasn't he?" It was the only thing that Scott could think of. Why else would they know his whereabouts but not his identity? This man had built the prototype and it had worked, meaning every attempt to go after him had resulted in the scouts being shot down.

"We believe so. The first squad was an accident, we didn't know he was there and their sensors gave them no warning of hostile weapons. When they disappeared, we sent another to investigate. But the squadrons were destroyed. I've now been assigned to the case, and we believed single fighters would be able to slip past, but…"

"But they've all been shot down. Why is Kevin only M.I.A when the others weren't?" Even as he was speaking, Scott studied the diagrams and the flight charts intently. He didn't realise the general was watching him with a small smile on his face as he poured over the documents.

"He managed to call it in. He was hit in the wing, made contact and then disappeared. The others must have been hit square on, they never established contact."

Scott winced. He wasn't sure what he would have preferred – Kevin might have stood more of a chance if he had managed to get out of range, but at least the others had no idea what was about to happen.

"Do you think he is out there, Sir?"

"There has been no trace of his plane. I know it has been announced that there will be no search and rescue. That's because, Captain, we've already sent men as close as we dare and there has been no sign of him. We can't get closer, not without activating that thing."

"So what precisely did Commander Grigson volunteer me for?" Scott felt his heart in his mouth and he thought he knew where this was going. Sure enough, Hanks looked him straight in the eye, his face apologetic.

"We're sending you in. From what I hear - and the fact Grigson has singled you out - you are the best pilot we've got. If anyone can avoid this thing, it's you. Evans also trusts you and there are not many men your age he trusts."

"What are you asking me to do, Sir?"

"Get onto that spit of land the creep is calling home and destroy that thing before it destroys everything that passes that way. You leave in two days."

Scott had known it was coming. But he still hoped he had been wrong. He knew Grigson's extreme reaction over where he had been found was for show so they had a reason for pulling him in without too many questions being asked. It seemed he had played straight into the commander's hands. He wondered what his team would be told this time and whether Tom would do anything foolish. Tom knew part of the truth and he knew that Scott knew it. It wouldn't take a lot for him to put the pieces together.

But at the end of the day, Scott knew that was no longer his concern. He had been given a mission and he could not turn it down. With any luck, Tom would never need to start making accusations about where Scott had really gone, for Scott had every intention of coming back again.

He was not going to be the next pilot to go missing.

TBTBTB

"Do you want a boat?"

Evans' question came out of the blue and Scott blinked as he looked at him. They were a little further down the hallway. Hanks told the commanders that Scott was briefed on the situation and they were to help him prepare. Scott knew he was not going to be leaving this building in the two days before he left – they needed to make sure he didn't give anything away. It wasn't they didn't trust him. Scott knew they were just following protocol.

"Why would I want a boat?"

"Well I want an island, doesn't mean that I get what I want." Grigson – despite having singled Scott out – didn't seem to have warmed towards the pilot whatsoever. Scott bit his lip to stop himself from obviously grinning. His father had wanted an island – and the last Scott had heard, the paperwork was being drawn up. Some people did manage to get what they wanted.

"He's a pilot, Grigson, he's not going to want a boat for fun." Evans switched his gaze from Grigson to Scott as he spoke. Scott swallowed at the look in the commander's eye. It hadn't been a question.

"Why do I need a boat?" Scott asked again, his voice quiet. His tone implied he knew Evans was talking about the mission, and for some reason, a boat was going to be involved. Evans sighed.

"We don't have a choice but to give you one. Hanks told you that there was a leak? Well, this weapon wasn't just known to people in the Air Force, but to all military units. The leak came from within WASP and they want a piece of the action. Now, due to the location of the weapon – as in, it's on land – they were persuaded to take a back seat and let us take control of the situation. They agreed, on the condition that we get three tries on our own. If that failed, they want to be involved."

"Kevin was the third try," Scott muttered softly, understanding where Evans was going. The man shrugged.

"Technically he was the fifth, but WASP don't know about the two squads we lost by accident. When the initial plane was lost, we didn't even know what it are briefed now, however, and insisting on being involved."

"If they are involved, I won't be able to take a straight route to the island," Scott spun the map, indicating where he had been thinking of approaching from. Evans shook his head.

"No, you won't. But we have a rough estimation about where on the island the weapon is due to the co-ordinates of every plane shot down. They'll take you to a point where you have the best chance of flying in. We've only got a rough estimate of the range of this thing, meaning they don't want to get too close either. They just want to be in on the action."

Scott grinned, wondering how Gordon react to hearing WASP wanted to be involved, even if not in the middle of the action. He knew he didn't have a choice in the situation; he was going in by boat. That didn't mean he had to like it, but he dutifully nodded.

"In that case, Commander, I want a boat."

"Good lad." There had been something in Scott's words that had got through to Evans. He had shown he understood and accepted the situation, knowing there was no choice but to follow orders. If Scott wanted to destroy this weapon - if he wanted to find out what had happened to Kevin - he knew he had to do it this way. A short sea trip was nothing if it meant finding out the truth.

Evans suddenly frowned, his voice soft when he spoke.

"Why are you doing this, Tracy?" Scott knew his thoughts must have betrayed him.

"Orders, Sir. This man stole from us and he is proving to be a threat. Why wouldn't I be doing it?"

"Are orders the only reason you are doing it? Why did you go back to the control room last night?"

Scott swallowed hard. He wasn't about to say Tom had been in there. He had stayed, not only to help out a friend, but because he, too, wanted to know what had happened to Kevin. He knew that was what Evans was getting at now.

"Whoever this man is, Sir, he took one of my men. Kevin was under my protection, I was his captain. I should have kept him safe or I should at least be able to give his wife some answers. If that means hunting down this creep and make sure no one else suffers the same fate, then so be it. I know why it has been covered up, but people need answers, Commander. I'm determined Mrs Briggs is going to get them."

Scott breathed heavily in the silence that followed, not quite knowing where that had come from. He was not one for making speeches. Evans, however, nodded approvingly.

"That's more like it."

Scott could tell from his face Evans had known this wasn't about orders. Scott wouldn't have taken the risk of breaking into the control room if that was all that was at stake. It was about finding out what had happened to his friend and making sure no other units suffered the same loss. It wasn't because Kevin might be dead - they had known death was a possibility when they had signed up. It was because the reasons given for that loss were a lie.

"Come on, Commander, let's go and find young Captain Tracy his boat." Evans didn't give Grigson much of a choice but shepherded the man from the room.

"What should I do, Sir?" Until he knew whether he had the boat or not, Scott had nothing else to plan. Evans looked at him long and hard and sighed.

"Go next door. The line in there is secure. Call home, Scott."

With that, the man strode from the room, taking Grigson with him. The door closed behind them and Scott sunk back into his chair. It didn't matter how good he was, Evans clearly wasn't sure whether he would be making it back from this mission. It seemed ironic that his first solo mission might also be his last. For a moment, Scott studied the maps again. He was determined this wouldn't be his last: he would make the flight, get onto the island and destroy whatever this machine was and bring the man to justice.

But Scott knew that optimism wouldn't be enough to get him through this mission. Deciding to do as Evans said, he stood up and made his way into the next room. The door shutting behind him seemed to echo in the silence and Scott had no idea what he was supposed to say. He knew he couldn't talk about the mission, but he also knew why Evans was letting him do this.

He was giving him the chance to say goodbye.

Knowing the longer he stood there, the harder it was going to be, Scott picked up the phone and dialled a well-known number. The voice that greeted him on the other end made him start.

"Virg? What are you doing there? I thought you were at Denver…"

" _I was…am…thought I'd head home for the weekend, save Grandma from the kid. You know he's been acting up since Gords left. You okay?"_

"I…" Scott didn't know what to say. He had been expecting to have ten minutes listening to Alan complain there was no one home any more now that both Scott and Gordon had enlisted and John and Virgil were away at college. Then he would hear his grandmother telling him to make sure he was eating right and to take care of himself, the old lady somehow knowing he was ringing because something was happening. His father wouldn't be there, he would be in some meeting or another, but his grandmother would promise to tell him Scott had called.

What he really hadn't been expecting, however, was for his closest brother to be on the other end of the line.

" _Scott? What's going on? Why are you calling?"_ There was a suspicious note in Virgil's voice and Scott knew his brother was well aware things weren't quite right. He swallowed hard and Virgil knew what he was doing.

" _You're going somewhere, aren't you? Somewhere you can't tell me about? But that's why you're calling, aren't you? To say….to say…"_

"No." Scott forced his voice to work, forced himself to be the big brother he knew Virgil needed right now. "I haven't called to say anything, I just called."

He knew Virgil would see straight through him. But he couldn't let his brother believe that he had been calling to say goodbye. He was going to make it back. No matter what.

" _Scott…"_

"Everything is fine, Virg. I promise." Scott knew there and then he now had no choice. He had to make it back from this mission because he had just promised his little brother he would. If there was one thing everyone knew about Scott Tracy, it was that he always kept his promises, no matter what.

"Tell me about school."

For a moment, Scott wasn't sure whether Virgil was going to talk or not. But the younger man realised that Scott wouldn't be able to hang on the line indefinitely so begrudgingly started telling Scott about his classes. But as he spoke, the passion re-entered his voice and Scott smiled softly. Virgil was certainly loving what he was doing and Scott could picture the way he would have lit up as he spoke about it.

He let his brother ramble on for a time before gently interrupting him and asking him to put their grandmother on. While he could use up the whole call talking to Virgil, that was not the reason he had called. If anything were to go amiss, Scott knew they would never forgive him for just talking to one person.

" _Hey, Scott?"_

"Yeah?"

" _Just… Bye, Scotty."_

Scott's breath caught for a moment and he had to swallow hard in order to stop his voice from cracking.

"Bye, Virg." He cleared his throat slightly, forcing himself to pull his act together. "Now go on, go and get Grandma."

As Virgil began yelling for the lady, Scott took a deep breath. He knew that he would get through this mission. He had to. For Virgil, he had to. And for Scott, that was a good enough reason to give him the willpower to defeat the odds stacked against him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for all of the lovely reviews! A special thank you to those I can't respond directly - I really appreciate them!_

* * *

The next two days seemed the fastest of Scott's was allowed back to the barracks briefly but sworn to secrecy about what was going on. No doubt they realised if Scott vanished, more questions would be asked. Tom had been more apologetic than his captain had ever seen him. Scott found it hard to reassure the man. How could he say everything was going to be alright when he was potentially about to disappear in the same way Kevin had?

But Scott wouldn't have been captain if he let his doubts and uncertainties show in front of his men. He stuck by the decided tale, claiming he was being sent to offices a few miles away to try and find out what had happened to Kevin. It was enough for the rest of the team. The hope on their faces made him feel bad. Would they trust him again after finding out they had been part of the same cover-up that had taken Kevin from them? But the orders were to stay silent and Scott knew he didn't have a choice. He managed to forget about the mission for a few hours as he had dinner with the men. When it came to turning in for the night, Scott trekked back across to the administration block alone.

There were more than just offices there. It was where senior members of the force bunked and Scott knew no captain had ever spent a night there, let alone two. But time was of the essence and Scott needed to be ready to leave as soon as WASP got in touch. Scott didn't mind. In his head, the mission had already started so sleeping somewhere different made it easier. It helped him to focus on what needed to be done. The different bed and surroundings - not to mention everything weighing on his mind - meant the captain had another restless night and was far from his optimistic self the following day.

Grigson put him through his paces in the morning, giving him a workout Scott didn't think he had experienced before. Every part of his training was brought into play and when he had finally dropped into a panting heap, Grigson simply stood over him with a clipboard and listed all the things he needed to improve to make sure his reaction times were perfect. Scott was not best pleased, but Hanks and Evans joined them for lunch and he was able to let his bad mood go.

The next few hours were spent selecting his plane and going over every inch. Scott could tell they were determined to bring the matter to a close as they were giving him the choice - wanting him to feel at ease with what he was flying. Scott chose his usual plane. He knew the controls and how she handled after so many times of flying her. Handling something different could potentially mean throwing his life away. He didn't think he would ever turn down the chance to fly the fastest or biggest planes the Air Force had to offer, but he had to think with his head rather than his heart. He would have to do the checks all over again when he left, but there was something soothing and familiar about running through them now. Evans made sure the others had left him to it, knowing this was Scott's way of getting his head in the right mind-set for what he was going to do.

Dinner was spent on his own, pouring over diagrams and specifications for the machine he was supposed to be destroying. The range hadn't been determined, meaning Scott didn't know if he could shoot at it before it shot at him. Instead, he found himself studying the plans of the actual weapon. He didn't think he would get that close; if he failed flying in then WASP would take over. But it made him feel better knowing he would be able to pull the plug without blowing himself up if he had to.

Scott wished – not for the first time - that his mind worked the same way as John's. No doubt his little brother would take one glance and be able to tell him exactly what to do. Virgil would be more useful right now, his mechanical mind allowing him to understand what the diagram was telling him. Scott stared at it helplessly, wishing there was a big red button he could push. He even wished he had met the young scientist his father had recently been in contact with, certain that – given enough time – the genius would be able to build some sort of cloaking device to allow the plane to get closer without being under threat.

Scott fell asleep pouring over the diagrams. He was awoken by Evans sending him to bed around midnight. Too exhausted to protest, Scott fell into bed without changing and managed to get a few hours before his brain started to remind him of the pressure on him. This wasn't just about staying alive: it was about stopping more planes from being shot down. How the Air Force had managed to make sure no commercial flights travelled within range, Scott had no idea. But he knew it wouldn't be long before questions were asked. It was up to him to make sure the area was safe. With those thoughts bouncing through his mind, sleep was chased off.

The second day – and Scot's final day on the Base - was a mirror of the day before. The men had been told that he had already left so Scott was kept out of sight. Grigson's training wasn't as severe and Scott knew it was because they didn't want him tired-out before he had left. More time was spent on the plane and even longer on the diagrams but the commanders joined him for dinner that night.

"You leave at dawn, Captain. A car will be here to take you to the docks, the ship that will be acting as your transport came into harbour this afternoon. Your plane is being taken now."

Scott mutely nodded, knowing telling Grigson he was worried about sea-boys handling his plane wouldn't go down too well. Evans seemed to know what he was thinking if the small chuckle he suddenly gave was anything to go by. Scott made a mental note to run through a few more checks once he was on-board the ship. The last thing he wanted was for it to have been jolted. He didn't deny WASP were good – Gordon would have his head otherwise! –they simply didn't know how to handle aircraft. If he was being fair, Scott knew the opposite was true. He wouldn't even know where to start if someone told him to maintain a boat.

"Do they have co-ordinates yet?" Scott asked quietly, forcing himself to casually put down his cutlery before an odd tremor in his hand was mistaken as him shaking.

"If they do, they aren't telling us," Evans scowled, stabbing at a potato with more force than necessary. Scott understood his frustration – it would have been much simpler if he could fly in himself without anyone else having to be in the potential firing line.

"I wish they weren't involved…"

Grigson's grumble seemed to make Evans remember the task at hand. "Now, now, Commander. They feel responsible, they want to help fix the issue…"

"They _are_ responsible. It was their colonel…"

"Enough!"

Scott had never heard Evans sound so sharp before and even though the tone wasn't directed at him, he found himself shrinking back in his seat a little. The man had partly risen from his chair, but forced himself to take a deep breath and sit back down again.

"You know that is classified on a need to know basis. Tracy here doesn't need to know. They are involved, and there is nothing we can do about it. I happened to know on good authority that the young captain here is good at thinking on his feet; I'm sure he will be fine."

Scott wasn't sure if that was meant to reassure him or not, but he knew a warning when he heard one. The conversation was closed.

The rest of the meal was quiet and Scott excused himself as soon as he could. They let him go –Evans cautioning him to try and sleep while he could – and Scott knew it was because they thought he was nervous.

He was - he would be a fool to deny that. But a small bubble of excitement was rising up in the pit of his stomach. He had wanted a solo mission ever since he joined the Air Force and the chances he might not make it back only made this all the more important. If he succeeded, he knew it would change his career forever. He refused to think too hard about what had happened to Kevin - it would only agitate him - and instead focused on how many people he would be helping if he could not only destroy this machine, but catch the person responsible.

The excitement helped neutralise the nerves a little, but Scott didn't get much rest. Adrenaline kicked in at some obscene time in the morning and by the time Evans knocked on his door just before dawn, Scott was ready to go. The commander seemed to know how he was feeling and that any words of reassurance or last minute instructions would go straight over Scott's head. He clapped him on the shoulder, led the way through the maze of offices and out via a back door. There was a jeep waiting by a small gate and Scott knew this was one of the unofficial exits to the base. It couldn't be seen from the fields, blocked by offices no pilot would voluntarily choose to enter. It was too small to be seen from the sky and Scott knew it meant no one would have any idea he was leaving.

Just as they reached the gate, Scott realised they were not alone. Grigson and Hanks, faintly illuminated by the sun beginning to creep over the horizon, were waiting for them.

"Captain Tracy."

"Sir." Scott saluted at both men but found that his eyes were locked on Hanks.

"You're our last chance at this before WASP take over entirely." Hanks said.

"Understood, Sir." Hanks nodded approvingly at the steely glint in Scott's eye. He had no intention of failing.

"Good luck, Captain Tracy."

Scott nodded in gratitude and Hanks dipped his head in answer before striding back towards the offices. Scott knew he wasn't the first pilot Hanks had sent into the unknown. The man was a general, after all.

"Tracy." For the first time since Scott had met Grigson – both officially and unofficially, having seen the man roaming the base for months without ever approaching him – the man seemed genuinely lost for words.

"Sir?"

"Just… fly straight."

Scott smiled, knowing that was Grigson's motto for everything, then watched as the man disappeared after Hanks. Hanks had looked completely in control but Grigson didn't seem to know what he was doing.

Evans watched them go for a long moment before sighing.

"Here." He held out a closed fist to Scott, who put out his hand obediently even as a frown crossed his face. Evans pressed something small into it and as Scott uncurled his fingers, he felt his breath catch in his throat. He only had the basics with him; the standard kit issued for every solo mission but no personal effects. But Evans had selected the one thing that meant more to Scott than anything else. In his hand was a small pebble. Virgil had pressed it into his hand the day he enlisted and had scratched all of their names into it. Scott didn't know what his brother had used to make the marks, but it reminded him that his family supported his choice no matter what.

"Thank you, Sir." Scott honestly didn't know what to say and tucked the pebble away securely. The driver of the car made an impatient gesture and Scott knew they had to be leaving. He took a deep breath, nodded at Evans and stepped towards the car.

"Scott?"

Scott stopped, stunned. He thought that might have been the first time Evans had ever used his first name. The man offered him a gentle smile.

"Good luck, Captain. Try and come back alive."

"I will, Sir." Scott grinned, suddenly feeling excitement taking the place of nerves. He knew it wouldn't be long until he was stuck on a boat, not being sure where he was going or what he would find when he got there. But right now, he was just a young man who had been handed everything he had ever wanted. People were relying on him and this was his chance to make a difference. Evans' smile turned genuine at Scott's enthusiasm and he clapped him on the shoulder before moving back behind the gate and carefully shutting it behind him.

Taking one last long look at what he could see of the airfield, Scott moved forward and got into the car. As the engine started up and the jeep pulled down a small lane that seemed better designed for animals rather than cars, Scott suddenly wondered what he had gotten himself into.

TBTBTB

Gordon knew he was not going to be the most popular man on the ship when he woke the rest of them before dawn. If he was honest, he knew he wasn't anyway. At only eighteen, he had broken some sort of record to even be allowed on a mission at his age. He hadn't had the best start with WASP, his prowess in the water meaning he was a target for jealousy amongst some of his peers during training. Things had escalated and he – with others – had eventually been pulled up in front of senior officers. The men had been fair, though and had heard both sides of the story before adapting Gordon's training.

He still had to work as hard as any of the new recruits, but he didn't need the same stamina and fitness-building as some of them. His Olympic medal meant he knew how to be focused and dedicated. Rather than training with the newest recruits, Gordon joined the ones who were already in their second stage. They had trained under a firm man who had refused to answer any questions about who Gordon was and the young man was accepted. The men found out he was supposed to still be in the first stages of training after he had been with them for a couple of months and by then he had already made some firm friends. Anyone who tried to say anything about it had to go through them first and Gordon finally found his dreams were coming true as he was pushed through with the rest of them.

He easily kept pace, struggling at some things and excelling at others, just like everyone else. But through missing the first year of training, Gordon had caused a few problems when it came to their team being given active duty. His age had raised questions - still only being seventeen at the time - but eventually permission had been granted and he found himself on his first ever mission.

That had been three months ago. Since turning eighteen, Gordon had been eager for another. When his team had been ordered out on this assignment, however, he was disappointed. They were using a ship rather than a submarine. Whatever this mission was, they were staying on the surface this what Gordon had worked out, this sort of operation was usually handled by the Navy, but there had been a personal reason why WASP were the ones involved. He hadn't asked, knowing if they were supposed to know, they would have been told. His brothers would have been surprised at how much he had changed when it came to following orders.

But even though the ship requested was unusual for WASP, the mission sounded nothing short of boring. They had to escort a pilot somewhere so he could get onto an island and then stay there like sitting ducks in case said pilot needed help. Gordon found himself wondering how Scott would feel about that; having to accept help from others. But the last Gordon had heard, Scott had been hundreds of miles away in Boston, nowhere near the coast and probably having no idea that this mission was even taking place.

Despite no one being too happy – it wasn't only Gordon's second mission, but the whole team's – they had dutifully packed their bags and come to port somewhere Gordon considered to be the middle of nowhere. They had been allowed off the boat, but with a curfew in place for ten pm to make sure they were ready for the early start no one had particularly enjoyed themselves - Gordon least of all when he had found himself on duty just before dawn, leaving him with no chance of catching up on missed sleep.

Slightly grouchy and longing to be back out on open water, Gordon dutifully left the command bridge and wandered through the boat, banging on doors as he did so. The grumbles he received in response made him smile as he thought of Virgil and Gordon perked up a little as he reached his own quarters. Pounding his fist on the door, Gordon waited for a moment before letting himself in.

Snatching up his own pillow – and thinking longingly of when he could next use it – Gordon threw it at the man sleeping in the hammock next to his.

"Oi! Frankie! Get your ass up." The finger he received in response made Gordon smirk, satisfied the man was now at least awake. Moving back towards the door – he still had a few more men to awaken – Gordon paused for a moment before crossing back to Frankie. Using his knee, he tipped the hammock until it rolled, dumping the man on the floor.

"Up and at 'em, sunshine," Gordon called cheerfully as he finally moved on. Even if this was going to be a boring and routine mission it didn't mean they had to see it that way. Instead, he found the grin didn't leave his face as he completed his rounds and made his way back to the command bridge. He arrived just in time to be dismissed - along with the man taking the duty after him. They exchanged confused glances but then the man shrugged and sped towards the lower levels, clearly unable to believe his luck and seeing it as a chance for a second breakfast. Gordon followed at a steadier pace, realising it must be because the pilot was arriving on board. It seemed whatever mission he was on, the briefing that was about to take place on the bridge was strictly confidential.

Not thinking anything more of it, Gordon joined his friends for breakfast, yawning along with the rest of them. They were struggling to wake up; he was struggling to stay awake. But they all knew it wouldn't matter how much they grumbled, it wouldn't get them anywhere. Especially not Gordon. It had turned into a joke how many dawn shifts he was given, almost as if the captains weren't sure whether they would ever be able to get the teenager up unless they dragged him from bed at some unknown time.

The food hit their stomachs and yawns slowly turned to chatter. There was a buzz in the hall when the commanding officers appeared and began yelling orders. Groups of people slowly began disappearing through various doors as they were given their assignments for the day. Gordon wasn't sure which of his team groaned at hearing they were up on deck, but Gordon didn't mind. It might be a day of scrubbing the decks, but it also meant a day out in the open as they took to the seas. Whoever would be overlooking them would know they had an easy job for the day and so be laid-back. For someone who hadn't got much sleep, nothing could have been better.

Besides, he knew that should they have duties below deck, the chances were they would spend most of the day being ordered away from certain spots while this mission – whatever it was – was kept secret. The command bridge was strictly off limits to everyone. Gordon said nothing as he followed his friends upstairs, knowing they would never let him live it down if they realised he didn't mind where they were going. The boat had cast off while they had been eating and as the others squabbled over who got what task, Gordon found his elbows resting on the railings as he stared back towards land. It still gave him something of a thrill watching the shore slowly disappearing, knowing not many people got to experience a sight like this on a regular occasion.

"Gordon!"

Gordon turned in time to catch the mop being thrown at his head and sighed. It didn't matter how much he might like the chance to watch the ocean swirling around the hull of the boat, losing himself in the mesmerising movements, he was not going to be given the chance. Shouldering the mop, he moved back towards his team.

It was only then he saw the bulk of a plane resting on the deck. It was well-secured and covered, but Gordon knew what it was. It was small in comparison to some of the planes the Air Force had and Gordon smirked. He was sure if Scott had been the one on this mission, then he would have demanded the fastest plane the Air Force had.

"So what do you reckon this top secret mission is this?" Frankie dragged Gordon off out of earshot of the commanding officer as they both selected parts of the desk to start cleaning. Gordon rolled his eyes.

"How am I supposed to know?"

"You were on duty."

"Yeah, on my own. You think any of those guys were up at that time?"

As Frankie saw the logic in his argument, both men turned towards the work they were supposed to be doing. Still, Gordon let his mind wander,wondering what was so important that WASP found themselves combining efforts with the Air Force. They normally travelled under the water, the planes flew high above it. He couldn't think of anything they had in common.

By the time a couple of hours had passed, Gordon had given up caring what the mission was. All he wanted was for it to be over so he could go back to doing something more interesting. Even training had to be better than dawn duties and scrubbing decks. Gordon moved into the shade, leaning against a door he believed to be shut as he took a moment to have a drink. The talk amongst his friends had reduced to nothing more than a murmur as the physical work took its toll and Gordon knew they were most likely cursing why whatever this mission was needed a boat so big. They were never going to get the decks clean at this rate.

"… think Tracy can do it?"

"I don't know, he's young…"

Gordon jumped, turning to stare at the door. It was only now he realised it was open a crack. The voices he could hear drifted off again as the men moved further down the corridor. Gordon glanced around, checking no one was watching him before slipping through the door. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he couldn't help himself. All that he had been given so far were dawn duties. If they were planning to give him something more, he wanted to know.

Gordon made sure he kept his distance as he shadowed the men down the corridor, not wanting to be seen. But it meant their words were lost and he couldn't hear anything else. Now his interest had been sparked, however, Gordon wanted to understand what he needed to do to make sure he proved himself to be worthy of whatever it was they were thinking about involving him in. He had got this far despite his age, he wasn't going to let that stop them from selecting him now.

Gordon didn't realise where he was going as he let his feet move, too intent on making sure he didn't lose the men to pay attention. They disappeared through a door and it shut with a sharp click behind them, forcing Gordon to stop. Swearing under his breath, he realised he had accidentally followed them up to the command bridge. Gordon hastily glanced around and turned in order to backtrack and get back out onto the deck before anyone noticed he had gone.

But just as he turned, a throat clearing behind him made him stop and wince. It was too late to pretend that he had just been passing through, Gordon knew he had been caught out. He was exactly where he shouldn't be and he had a feeling his dawn shifts were about to increase. He tried to grin ruefully at the stern-looking officer standing in front of him, but knew by the frown on the man's face it was getting him nowhere. Sighing, Gordon shut his eyes with a groan and waited to hear just how many orders he had disobeyed by being there rather than staying with the rest of his team.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you so much again for the gorgeous reviews. Especially those I can't message directly, I really appreciate your kind words._

 _I have to admit, I giggled so much writing part of this chapter. So I really hope you enjoy it!_

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Scott tried to look like he was paying attention to the captain. The man had told him six times in the short time Scott had been here how fast the ship could go. The pilot didn't want to hear it again. As Scott understood it, he was only going to be on-board for a little over 24 hours but already had a long list of places he wasn't allowed to venture into.

Eventually, talk turned to the mission and Scott snapped back to alertness. He hoped no one else had noticed how much his mind had been drifting. He hadn't slept well for days and the early start was beginning to catch up with him. There was nothing for him to do right now apart from wait and he wanted to relax. Maybe even sleep while he could.

But the commander wanted to know what Scott could tell him about the mission. Scott complied. He didn't have a choice. From what he already knew, someone from within WASP had caused this problem. The chances were the captain already knew and was testing how much Scott knew.

Talk had turned to technical details when there came a noise from outside the door. Scott turned instinctively despite not being in a position to react. He supposed it was a mixture of being a captain and a big brother; he was used to sorting out problems.

One of the other officers got there first, glancing out before looking back.

"Newbie," he muttered, before disappearing out of the door and closing it behind him. Scott glanced at the captain, who shrugged.

"We've got a young squadron along for the ride, getting them some experience out in the field. Looks like one of them isn't as good at following orders as his commanding officer thought."

Scott nodded distractedly, turning back to the maps on the table. It wasn't his problem what happened to the man. He didn't see why there was such a need for secrecy on the ship; the crew surely had to know where they were going? But then he remembered how the commanders back at his base had been lying about this operation. Who was to say the captain of the ship wasn't doing exactly the same thing?

"So what's your plan?"

Scott blinked, wondering if the question was supposed to have been that direct. He shrugged.

"Make it up as I go along." He made sure to keep his voice even. He wanted to fly in, blast it with everything he had and get out of there before he was taken down himself. But that had been tried. It had failed and Kevin missing was the result. He was going to have to try something different. The fact he didn't yet know what was something he wanted to keep to himself. The captain shot him a disbelieving look, but then a bell rang from somewhere on the ship and he sighed, rolling up a map.

"Would you like to accompany me for lunch in my cabin or would you rather go down to the halls with the men?"

Scott gaped, wondering if it was a trick question. He didn't want to spend any longer with the captain than he had to. He didn't have anything against the man but he had shared enough meals with superiors over the last few days to last him a life time. He would rather spend it with people he could actually have a conversation with without feeling like he needed to hold his tongue for the whole time. Luckily, someone came up behind the captain and started speaking in a low voice in his ear, turning the man's attention from Scott onto the newcomer.

"This way, Captain Tracy. The captain has other matters to attend to."

Scott knew a dismissal when he heard one and obediently followed the man. He tried to hide the sigh of relief, but his guide gave him an amused look. Neither of them said anything until they reached the food halls. Scott's jaw dropped, not having realised how big the ship was until now. The size of the room and the sheer number of people collecting food and sitting in small groups at the line of tables astounded him. His guide laughed, clapping him on the back.

"Be back on the command bridge in an hour," he said, already beginning to walk off. The man was gone before Scott could admit to not remembering the way back. Feeling out of his depth for the first time in a long while, Scott took a breath and moved forward.

He was aware of all eyes on him as he moved and ended up slipping onto the end of a table closest to the door, wondering if this had been a good idea. He quickly realised he didn't have anything in common with these men – there would be no conversation for him. He ate quickly, determined to make his way back up to the command bridge before his hour was up. At least up there, his problem was being ignored rather than having everyone watching him.

Keeping his head down, Scott felt the stares gradually begin to dwindle away as he wasn't doing anything to draw attention to himself. He had just finished eating and made to stand up when a shadow passed over him. Five young men walked past, sitting down within earshot. They all looked young, almost too young to be out of training. Scott had a feeling these were the `newbies` he had been told about and made to leave. Before he could do so, however, their words caught his ear and he stopped.

"So what do you think is going on then?" One of them was saying, his annoyed tone making it apparent the conversation had been going on for some time. "It has to be something to do with the pilot."

Scott took a step closer. He was listening hard but didn't interrupt. He wanted to know what was being said before he made his presence known. The men on the command bridge only seemed to be bragging about what they could do. Scott knew eavesdropping was more likely to give him a more accurate feel to how the men felt.

"I agree. But what? They haven't even told us a course yet and for so much of the ship to be off-limits? Something isn't right."

"We can't just start throwing accusations around."

"But we have to find out! He'll be lucky to get away with a slapped wrist for being where he shouldn't be. Why all the secrecy? We've never had to deal with that before. I say we find out what is going on."

Scott knew he had to say something. Asking the wrong sorts of questions could land the group in trouble and he already felt partly responsible for the man who had been caught – it was his presence that was causing the restrictions, after all. He took a step forward and cleared his throat. Simultaneously, they all glanced up at him.

"Why do you want to know what I'm doing so badly?" he asked, determined to get an answer. All five men gaped at him and Scott could see the pieces falling into place in their minds about who he was.

"You're the pilot?" It was the first man who had spoken and Scott nodded.

"I am. What's the problem? Why aren't you sure about this?"

No one answered him. Scott cursed, realising why. They wouldn't admit to moaning when he outranked them. Swinging his leg over the bench, Scott sat down on the end.

"I started asking the wrong questions too," he admitted. "Trust me – ask someone who doesn't have the authority to make your life hell. What do you want to know?" He knew there were certain details that he couldn't reveal, nor would he. But being kept in the dark was what had landed him in this position in the first place and Scott wasn't about to turn the tables and do it to someone else. After sharing a quick glance, one of the men began talking. His voice was hesitant to start with but quickly gained in confidence.

"There is something about this mission that has got all the officers on edge and they are taking it out on us. But we've been talking to some of the other boys… I take it you've heard this is our team's second mission?"

"I knew you were new…" Scott began, but he was cut off quickly.

"It's only new guys or ones who usually serve elsewhere that are on this mission. No one that has spent any time at our normal base has been selected. We thought it was just chance, until this secrecy with you. We know something happened about a year ago at the base, but we don't know what. Now we think this mission has something to do with it and it is only new people because they don't want us to have any emotional attachment to the situation."

If it had been any other occasion, Scott might have laughed at the leap the man seemed to have made. To make those sort of connections because of a bit of secrecy sounded more like paranoia than sense. But the dates were immediately setting off alarm bells. About a year ago, someone from WASP was involved with the stealing of the plans of the same weapon that he was supposed to be destroying. This team, although they might have been young, were good.

"I can't say if you are right or not, I don't know enough myself." Scott said slowly. If they were figuring it out, maybe their friend knew a little more information and that was why he had been caught out. "Look, I really can't be talking about this, you know what orders are like. I can put in a word for your friend though, I know he didn't hear anything because I was there when they caught him snooping."

"It's not like him to go wandering off like that. Something must have caught his attention."

"Tell me about it," Scott muttered, thinking about Kevin and what had landed him in this situation to start with. "Point me in the direction of the command bridge and I'll see what I can do."

"Didn't you just come from there?"

"Doesn't mean I know where it is." Scott tried not to blush as the man grinned at him.

"Think I can sort you out there, Captain."

"Scott."

"Frankie. Now, here is where you need to go…"

Ten minutes later and Scott knew he had earned the trust of the men when he was back on the command bridge. They could have easily sent him towards some of the sections he had been told to keep out of, but they hadn't. Scott knew he had to keep his word about seeing what he could do for their friend. The captain was nowhere to be seen, but Scott knew there were enough officers around with the authority to do something. He approached one, clearing his throat and watching the man look somewhat startled that he was back already.

"Captain Tracy. You don't have to be here right now…"

"I know. I wanted to know what had happened to that newbie you mentioned."

"Oh, he is in one of the cabins. He'll stay there until the captain decides whether he was telling the truth or not about it being an accident."

"Don't you think that is a little extreme?" Scott desperately tried not to think about the fact that being in the wrong place at the wrong time had been what had landed him in this situation in the first place.

"Delicate mission, Captain. Can't take any chances, especially with those boys not being properly tried and tested yet."

"Of course. Could I see him myself?"

"Why? Captain ordered…"

"It is _my_ mission that is in jeopardy, I believe?" Scott knew he outranked this man. Everything he had said made Scott believe Frankie was on the right lines about them refusing to let any of their men know what was really going on. If he was honest, Scott had had enough of superiors deciding what they should and shouldn't be told. Especially now it had got to the point where lives were being lost. It wasn't because of Frankie that Scott was determined to see the `prisoner`. Other people had dictated his actions and put him here. It was his turn to take charge.

His thoughts flickered across his face and the man suddenly nodded. He seemed to realise Scott wasn't going to take no as an answer and would resort to ordering him to do it if he had to. He spoke briefly to another man who took over the post he had been standing at before gesturing to Scott.

"Very well then, Captain. If you would like to follow me?"

TBTBTB

Gordon was bored.

There was no other way he could describe his mood. He was sitting in a sparsely furnished cabin belonging to one of the lower officers – not important enough to get full furnishings, but too important to be in the bunks with the rest of them. He knew although the door would be shut, it wouldn't be locked. He also knew he wasn't allowed to leave. Despite there being a bed and a chair in the room, Gordon sat on the floor. He knew where he was down there – knew that no one could reprimand him for it.

He had never thought this sort of thing would happen to him. The only reason he was on this boat in the first place was because he was good at following orders; it was why he had been advanced rather than punished for the early incidents in his training. For it to be him caught somewhere he shouldn't have been when he was supposed to be working… Gordon didn't like the feeling of sitting and waiting to find out what was going to happen. For someone who had constantly been in trouble with figures of authority, this was the first time Gordon truly felt like squirming.

The door opening drew his attention and Gordon looked up, preparing to stand. He knew the officer, even if not by name. He knew he didn't have the authority to release him, not considering how they were handling this whole matter. Gordon knew he wouldn't be leaving and sighed as he made it to his feet.

"Someone here to see you," the man said gruffly and Gordon was hard pushed not to roll his eyes. He knew he hadn't been addressed by name because the man didn't know it. Gordon was just another man to him, a member of a squad that took their orders from someone else.

"Sir," he responded softly, knowing ignoring the man would not go down too well. The officer nodded and stepped out of the room, allowing someone else to step in.

Gordon blinked.

Then he shook his head and blinked again.

"What the hell…?" he murmured softly, barely aware of the door closing behind the officer as he moved out again. Gordon's visitor was standing just as still as he was, the same look of shock across his face.

"What-?"

"You-?"

"You're in Boston!"

"You're underage!"

"What the hell are you doing on my boat?"

"What the hell are _you_ doing on this boat?"

Gordon laughed. There was no other response he was capable of, not when his big brother was standing across the cabin from him. He knew Scott had had no idea who he was about to be paying a visit to; the same look of shock was across his face that Gordon knew was reflected on his own.

"Why are you in here?"

"Why are _you_ in here?"

"Just answer the damn question, Gordon. You're eighteen, you shouldn't be here."

"You're a friggin' pilot, _you_ shouldn't be here! Why _are_ you here?"

"Tell you what," Scott held out his hands in a calming manner and Gordon could tell his brother didn't know whether to laugh or cry right now. "You answer my questions and then I'll answer yours. Fair?"

"Why do you get to go first?" Gordon was grinning even as he sat back down, his mind reeling as he tried to work out what the hell was going on. It had never once crossed his mind that Scott could have been the pilot they were escorting. After all - as he had previously pointed out - he had truly believed his older brother was halfway across the country.

"I'm older," Scott's eyes suddenly glinted and Gordon had a feeling he wasn't going to like what was coming next. "And technically I outrank you."

He was right.

"You are _not_ pulling rank on me!"

"Well then, answer me."

"Answer me first!"

"Gordon!" Scott didn't seem to know what else to do and grabbed the pillow off the officer's bed and proceeded to fling it at his brother. Gordon caught it with ease and flung it back, grinning.

"Fine, fine. What do you want to know?"

"Why are you here?"

"Dude, seriously? I've been in WASP for two years and you want to know why I'm on a WASP mission. Surely that should be my question to you?"

" _Two_ years, Gords. You've been in for two years, last I checked training was three. You shouldn't be here. So, talk."

"I…" Gordon flushed, studying the floor. "...might have skipped a year of training." His voice was a mumble. His family knew, but it had only been a few months ago. He hadn't told Scott. Nor, it seemed, had the rest of the family.

"Gordon!"

"It wasn't my fault those jerks wouldn't leave me alone and considering I could keep pace, they thought it better to let me skip the first year. I could do it all anyway, it wasn't like I was missing out on anything…"

"Does Dad know?"

"Course. He obviously didn't want you worrying though."

"Gords…"

"What? What would you have had me do, Scott? Stay there after they cornered me in the barracks and showed me quite how much they didn't like that I could outperform them?"

Scott swore, moving towards his brother even as he did so. Gordon knew that Scott was fully aware of what even trainees could do if they worked together, it was the same in the Air Force.

"Drop it," Gordon warned, holding his hands up to hold back his brother if he needed to. "It was the best thing that happened to me in the long run. And here I am, out on missions already. It's not like I'm the first this has happened to."

"I don't like it."

Gordon had forgotten just how much of a growl Scott's voice could come out as if he was unhappy about something.

"Yeah well. You forget that as soon as we leave home you lose big brother power."

"Like hell I do."

"No? So your spooky sense of knowing where we all are at all times still works then?"

"Shut up." Gordon knew he had silenced Scott. The fact he had no idea Gordon was on the ship proved he no longer knew as much about his brothers as he liked to pretend. The older man came and sat down on the floor next to him, and Gordon suddenly groaned out loud as he realised something. At Scott's quizzical look, he shrugged.

"I'm guessing your next question is why I'm in here? I accidentally ended up on the command bridge after following someone. I overheard part of their conversation, I thought they were talking about me, especially as they said about being young and whether it could be done. It didn't exactly cross my mind there was another Tracy on board."

"Why didn't it cross their minds then?"

"Scott, have you seen the size of this boat? The only people that know I'm a Tracy are my own squad and commanding officer. And I bet the only people that know you are a Tracy are the ones you've been stuck with all morning. There are probably about three people on this entire ship that can connect us, and that is including us two. But… if you didn't know it was me, why are you in here?"

"I met your team. They were worried about what was really happening on-board. Thought something else was going on."

"Frankie?"

"Yep."

"And is there?"

"Is there what?"

"Something going on. A cover-up, perhaps." Gordon was joking, not really believing it. But then he looked at Scott's face and his heart plummeted. Scott wasn't going to answer him and Gordon knew why. Orders had been issued to make sure Scott didn't reveal what was going on and Gordon knew that only meant one thing.

It was indeed some sort of cover-up operation.

"Scott…" Gordon's voice was quiet this time as he thought back to what had landed him in trouble in the first place. The men had sounded doubtful that Scott would be able to complete this mission. Gordon knew full well his brother was good and knew the Air Force wouldn't have enlisted the help of WASP to send in someone that didn't at least have a chance of completing the mission. "What precisely are you doing here?"

Scott squeezed his shoulder briefly, clearly knowing by Gordon's tone that he didn't mean in this cabin but on the ship in the first place.

"Don't ask me, Gords, you know I can't tell you."

"Is it dangerous?"

Scott simply shrugged and Gordon moved around until he was looking his brother in the eye.

"Scott, is it dangerous?"

"They think the last guy is missing rather than dead, compared to the two squadrons before."

"Damnit, Scott…"

"You know I don't have a choice, just like you don't. So don't go there, Gords, just… don't, please?"

"No one knows where you are, do they?" Gordon thought he knew why Scott sounded so tense. He knew the supposed danger of this mission wasn't bothering his brother– Gordon knew that - just like him - Scott had known what he had signed up for. But there was something else making his brother on edge, and with that one sentence, he knew he had just hit the problem straight on.

"They told us Kevin was just on a routine sweep and his plane went down."

"So how did you get involved?"

"Like you, kiddo. Wrong place, wrong time."

"So what are you doing?"

Scott sighed and shook his head. "Pretend you don't know this? Destroying some kind of weapon."

"Then I'm coming with you."

"My plane only carries one, Squirt."

"Then I'll…."

"You'll do nothing but what you are told, Gordon." There was a note in Scott's voice that Gordon didn't think he had ever heard before. He had witnessed his brother controlling all four of his younger siblings with just one word. But this went deeper than that and Gordon knew he was actually hearing Scott in the role of a captain.

"I'll ask permission…"

"You don't know about this, understand?"

Gordon sighed, scowling as he moved back around to sit next to Scott rather than facing him. It was easier that way.

"Are you coming back?"

"I'll try."

Gordon nodded, swallowing hard. He didn't want Scott to regret telling him by behaving like a clingy little brother. He had to do his duty and Scott had to do his. That didn't mean he liked the idea of knowing that this could potentially be one of the last conversations he had with his brother.

"Hey, Scott?"

"What?"

"Can you please go and talk to the captain and get me out of here? I know I used to tell Allie all of these horror stories about dungeons on a pirate ship and this is a far stretch from that… but I can't say I'm enjoying it much."

Scott leant over and ruffled his hair and Gordon knew the moment had passed between them. He was glad Scott had told him. Out of everyone in their family, he would be the one who understood why Scott had to do this despite not knowing whether he would actually be making it back or not. With it being an operation that was kept tightly under wraps as well, Gordon knew that if anything _were_ to happen to his brother, then the true version of events would be kept quiet. At least this way, Gordon had the comfort of knowing that Scott was doing something beneficial.

"I'll try. You never know, it might give you a mission of your own. It did for me."

"Urgh, no thanks. I tried to go under the sea so no one could remark on how I was following in big brother's footsteps. I'm not getting a command in the same way that you did."

"You'll never be able to walk in my footsteps, Gords," Scott teased as he climbed to his feet, moving towards the door. Gordon stuck out his tongue at his brother's back, but Scott simply flipped him the finger, seeming to know what he was doing despite not looking. He paused at the door, however.

"You're too busy making your own mark."

Gordon only had time to blink before Scott was gone, the door sliding shut. Now that his big brother was on the case, Gordon was certain he would be out of here in no time. But right now, he could only sink back until he was leaning against the bed. Scott always had a kind word to say when the moment took him, but it was rare he said something as deep as that, seeming to know that his little brothers – even John - still hung on his every word. For him to say that…

Gordon shook his head and stood up, beginning to pace. That was _not_ Scott saying goodbye, that was him having a moment of being sentimental. He was going to complete this mission, then come back and the only thing Gordon would have to worry about was to make sure he had something to gloat about just as much as his big brother. Everything was going to be fine.

It simply had to be. There was no other option.


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you so much once again - especially to those I can't respond directly too. I really appreciate the comments and support. Hope you like this next chapter._

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Scott spent the rest of the day in the small room he had been given as a cabin, pouring over every piece of information he could get his hands on. The captain had given Scott an armful of maps to help him plan his course. He quickly located where the island was in relation to the launch site and spent the rest of the time working out wind speeds and potential lines of attack. The other teams would have tried flying overhead, but approaching from the side might give him the advantage. The weapon could rotate, but that would take time – possibly enough for Scott to get in close. Not to mention that if he had to spend another hour on the command bridge listening to the commanders, Scott was sure that he was actually going to push someone overboard.

When the officer had shown him to the cabin, he had promised that someone would be sent to fetch him for dinner. Scott had nodded distractedly, his mind already drifting. But as he finally put the maps to one side and stood up, stretching out as he did so, Scott realised he was beginning to feel hungry. They should be reaching the co-ordinates just before dawn the next morning, so he was fully aware that this might be one of the last full meals he would have for some time. He refused to let himself think about it being his last meal, period.

Determined to distract himself – and knowing he would just get lost if he tried to find the way himself – Scott dropped to the floor, balancing on his toes and hands before slowly beginning press ups. He didn't really know why, but if he could no longer distract himself mentally, then he was going to make sure he could do it physically instead. He had barely got to ten when there came a soft knock on his door. Scott twisted his body until he was sitting down and bid whoever it was to come in. The door slowly opened and Scott relaxed.

"Captain."

"Frankie. I'm guessing that you are my escort?"

As Frankie nodded, Scott jumped to his feet. "Good, I'm starv…"

"What did you do, forget to tell them to let me out again?"

Before Scott could finish his sentence, Gordon had barrelled his way in and flung himself dramatically into the seat his brother had previously been sitting in. Scott moved forward, shifting the maps to one side before glancing up and seeing Frankie's bemused face.

"I told them. They obviously just decided to take their time about it."

"Do you have any idea how boring it is just sitting in there all afternoon?"

"Yeah," Scott muttered, thinking to how bored he had been all afternoon - and that had been while pouring over maps. He meant what he had said, however. He had spoken to the captain, but the man had dismissed it, claiming the young ones had to learn their place as much as the next man. Scott had tried pushing but the captain hadn't listened and Scott knew he had no authority to insist.

"I figured you would have done something, but nope! You just left me there…"

"Gords…"

"Hang on," Frankie interrupted and Scott almost burst out laughing at the look on his face. He knew for sure the young man had no idea of his relationship with Gordon. Frankie had never mentioned Gordon by name, therefore Scott had never had the chance to explain.

"Why would the Captain do something to get you out?"

"You didn't tell him?" Gordon twisted in his chair until he could shoot Scott a mock-glare. Scott shrugged.

"Your team mate, figured you would."

"I might have, once I actually knew it was you. But I've only just been let out, so I thought you would have done it."

"Tell me what?"

"Frankie, meet Captain Scott Tracy." Gordon vaguely waved a hand in Scott's direction as he spoke, but Scott was watching Frankie. The man's jaw seemed to drop as his eyes darted between the two Tracys. He looked as if he wasn't believing it before he suddenly let out a huff of astonished laughter, a smile on his face.

"As in..?"

"As in this trouble-maker's big brother."

"Hey! I don't…"

"Cause trouble? Then how did you land yourself in isolation all afternoon?" Scott smirked as Gordon glared at him, only to duck as Gordon threw what Scott had been using as a paperweight all afternoon at his head. "Dad's going to have a field day over that."

"It was your fault."

"How?"

"They said your name. Well, they said my name, only they meant it as your name and I…"

"Gordon?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up." To Scott's surprise, his brother did as he was told and the pilot couldn't help but lean over and ruffle his hair. He knew the reaction he would get, but that didn't stop him from laughing when it happened.

"You said something about food?" Deciding to take a little pity on the dumb-struck Frankie, Scott turned his attention back to the man. He was standing there with his mouth slightly open, clearly trying to process what was happening in front of him. Scott smiled when he thought about how easy things had always felt with his brothers, regardless of the situation they were in. Frankie nodded and stepped out, gesturing for Scott to follow him. Scott waited until Gordon had just begun to rise from his chair before pushing the younger man back down again and darting out of the door with a laugh.

As soon as he got into corridor beyond, Scott sobered up, sliding effortlessly back into his role as a pilot of the Air Force. He didn't notice he had done it, until Gordon came stumbling out of the door and did exactly the same thing. The three of them made their way down to the dining halls, Scott desperately trying to remember the way but failing. He was fine when he could fly over something, but otherwise it had always been John who could remember directions.

Scott paused as he got to the door, wondering if he was about to have a repeat performance of lunch time and be on his own. Gordon didn't pause, but jabbed Scott in the back to keep him moving. Before the pilot realised what was going on, he was sitting with his brother's team. He stayed quiet, knowing these were men that Gordon relied on more than anything. Frankie had said something about Scott helping get Gordon out as an explanation. Despite Gordon's eye roll and mutter he had done no such thing, neither brother made an attempt to let on they already knew each other. Gordon was his own man here and Scott had no intention of being seen as his big brother. He thought Gordon would be thinking the same and Frankie was clearly prepared to follow their lead considering he didn't say anything didn't realise how quiet he was being until Gordon kicked him under the table, frowning quizzically when Scott looked up. Scott offered half a shrug and a small smile in response to his brother's unasked question. He was fine. Well, as fine as he could be, considering what the next day would bring.

Luckily, Gordon seemed to understand and dipped his head in response before joining in the banter shooting around his team mates. If he didn't know Gordon's circumstances, Scott wouldn't have believed he was the youngest of the group. On more than one occasion, they seemed to look to him for a come-back. It was the same way that the brothers often waited for Scott to have the last word. Scott found himself smiling faintly. There had been more than one argument between his brother and father when Gordon announced that he had no plans of going to college, but wanted to come straight to WASP. At least now, Scott would be able to tell their father with a clear conscience that Gordon had made the right choice. He belonged here.

As the meal drew on, Scott found himself withdrawing more. It was one thing planning to tell his father things like that, but what if he never got the chance? What if something went wrong? What if they never found out what happened because the whole thing was covered up in the way Kevin's disappearance had been?

At least Gordon would have an idea about what had happened.

Excusing himself, Scott stood up. He forced a smile onto his face and muttered something about it being an early start and needing to get some sleep. He wasn't sure he would be able to sleep a wink, but knew he wouldn't be able to just sit there with this carefree group of young men for much longer without saying something that he would later regret. To his surprise, Gordon also stood up.

"I'll show you back, Captain."

Scott realised he was staring at his brother in shock as he realised there was no trace of humour in Gordon's voice. He had meant that seriously.

"We're going up to the deck for cards later, Gordon. You coming?"

"Sorry. I'm on pre-dawn watch. Gonna get some shut-eye."

" _Again?_ "

Gordon grimaced and nodded before jerking his head at Scott and gesturing for his brother to follow him. Scott obediently did so.

"I take it that means you get that watch a lot?"

"Not every officer on this boat likes my age, put it that way," Gordon muttered, glancing around as he did so to make sure that he wasn't about to be overheard by someone. Scott nodded in understanding. He had experienced the same feeling when he had first stood in line with the other captains and realised they were all at least five years older than he was. They reached Scott's cabin, but Gordon stayed where he was.

"Can I come in for a bit?"

Scott simply left the door open in invitation and Gordon moved in, closing it softly behind him.

"Unless you were planning to sleep?" Gordon added and Scott shook his head. He sat back down at the table, resisting the urge to bang his head on it. He had always known this last night would be the worst, but nothing had prepared him for the thoughts going through his head.

"I'm glad you're here."

His words came out before he realised that he was even thinking them, but Gordon simply chuckled and sat himself down cross-legged on the floor.

"Me too."

Silence fell between them, but it was comforting. Scott knew that Gordon would be thinking about his mission as well, and no doubt trying to figure out precisely what it was that Scott was doing. It wasn't like Gordon to simply let something go when it had caught his attention. Just like Tom had broken into the control room in order to find out what had happened to Kevin, Gordon would stop at nothing. In a way, the thought was comforting. At least someone would know the truth.

"You'll get to see me off." Scott suddenly spoke again, the thought only just occurring to him.

"How?"

"I leave at the break of dawn. If you are on pre-dawn watch…"

"… I'll just be getting off duty."

Scott caught Gordon's eye and grinned, seeing his smile reflected in his brother's face.

"I'll find out if you are as good at flying as everyone seems to think you are."

"Better, I'll have you know," Scott retorted, finding that his smile was becoming more genuine as Gordon began mocking him. If he had to spend his last night of safety stuck on a boat, then being able to share it with his brother suddenly made the whole thing more bearable.

An hour or so passed and their conversation landed on neutral ground. Gordon knew and understood there were some things Scott couldn't say and he didn't push it. But while Scott had never really had any intention of going to bed when he had excused himself at dinner, he was more than aware that Gordon had to be up before him.

"You should get some sleep."

"Are you trying to send me to bed?" Gordon looked astonished and Scott snorted in amusement at how his words had come out. He certainly hadn't sounded like a captain in that moment, but a big brother.

"Maybe."

"Fine."

Scott started, looking at Gordon guardedly. He had never managed to get Gordon to go to bed, not even when he could just throw him over his shoulder and dump him down on the bed. Gordon would always just get back up again and Scott was sure that he must be missing something now. Gordon, however, just smirked. He linked his fingers under his head and stretched out across the floor.

"Not here, you dork," Scott muttered, nudging him with his toe. Gordon simply looked at him steadily.

"Why not?"

Scott gaped before feeling a slow smile beginning to gradually spread across his face. There was no reason why not. Gordon obviously thought he would be able to sleep just as well on Scott's floor as he would in his own bunk and if he didn't think he would be in trouble for it, Scott genuinely didn't have a good enough reason as to why not. He simply shrugged and Gordon settled himself back down again.

Scott spent another hour looking over maps before realising just how quiet Gordon was being. Twisting in his chair, a fond smile spread across his face as he realised that, just this once, Gordon had done as he was told and fallen asleep, stretched out across the floor. Shaking his head, Scott carefully stepped over him and pulled the blanket off the bed, spreading it over his little brother. A frown crossed Gordon's sleeping face and – without waking – he grabbed hold of the blanket and snuggled himself further down. Just the way he had always done.

Scott climbed onto the bed and pulled his jacket over him, kicking off his shoes and curling up under it. The night was warm; he had no need for the blanket and was perfectly capable of making do with just a jacket. He didn't think that he would be able to sleep, but there was something about having his younger brother asleep next to him that allowed him to relax more than he thought possible considering the thoughts running through his head.

It wasn't long before he, too, had fallen asleep.

TBTBTB

Scott didn't realise how on edge he had been for his entire time on the boat until he was once again back in the cockpit of his plane. His hands ran over the switches and through the checks as if it were second nature; he barely even needed to think about what he was doing. He found that he was completely relaxed now that it came to actually being launched, the only thoughts he was allowing in his head were the angle of the sunrise, the wind speed and directions.

The sky was just beginning to lighten and the only men on deck were the commanding officers. But as Scott confirmed that all systems were ready for launch, he saw someone else appear. Gordon was lurking in the doorway, allowing the shadows to hide him from where the faint sun had illuminated the deck. But Scott didn't need to see him properly to know that his brother was watching intently as he allowed the engines to roar into life. Despite everything, he found there was a smile on his face at the sound. For the first time since he had been caught outside the control room, Scott truly felt as if the situation was back in his hands. All the planning and scheming was out of the way.

Now all he had to do was fly.

Despite Gordon's teasing tone the night before, this was something Scott did indeed know how to do. As the sound of the engines settled, he checked the readings one last time. Looking at the men on the deck, he saluted. Two nodded in response and Scott knew they had seen his actions. But it hadn't truly been them he had been looking at. Gordon echoed the sentiment back at him and Scott took a deep breath, setting the plane rolling.

He had never taken off from a moving ship before. He knew they were going to go a little further out once he had departed, in case retaliation came across the seas as well as into the sky. Taking another breath to steel himself, Scott forced himself to talk through everything he needed to do, adjusting his engines to cope with the speed of the ship, his hands moving as he spoke.

He was so focused on what he needed to do, he barely noticed that he was actually doing it until a green light flashed at him to say that he was gaining altitude. Scott grinned, knowing in his heart that it couldn't have gone more smoothly and he had just proved to Gordon for once and for all that he was as good as they said he was. The thought offered him comfort as he checked his course and then made sure communications were open with the ship. They were using their signal to relay his transmissions back to the Air Force Base - if something did go wrong, everyone would be alerted at the same time.

Once he knew contact had been established, Scott fell silent, focusing on flying. He kept the plane low, skimming the waves as he shot towards the island. He was determined that he was going to have no height to fall from if something was going to happen. He would have to climb as he approached though, the layout of the land was unfamiliar to him and he had no intention of crashing into a mountain. He wanted to get as close as he could.

Scott flicked a few buttons, allowing the plane to do some of the work for him as it scanned the land. At the perfect time, Scott climbed higher, reporting his position as he did so. If it wasn't for the fact he was on a mission of such importance, he might have taken the time to admire the view. But he kept his attention firmly focused on what he was doing, adjusting his course dutifully every time something looked as if it was going to be an issue.

Scott had to admit to holding his breath as the plane finally began to fly over land rather than the sea. Now was the time to find out if whoever this was had any defences that no one knew about. None of the other planes had got this far; they had been taken down before they even made it over land. Scott let the plane fly herself for a moment as he began to ready his guns. If things carried on like this, all it was going to take was a few shots and he would be home before anyone truly began to notice that he wasn't there.

There was something reassuring about seeing all the lights turning green to confirm that all his weapons were indeed online. Scott retook control of the plane, knowing that he wasn't close enough yet. But just as he switched back to manual, he jumped as warning lights began to flash at him.

"What the-?" His fingers flying, Scott focused the sensors on where the warning was coming from and felt his breath catch. He had hoped to get closer than this before the weapon's sensors picked him up. But he should have known – the others hadn't made it, why should he be any different?

His thoughts made it no further than that until there was a flash of red. He didn't need the sensors screaming at him to know that some sort of laser had just been shot in his direction. This time, Scott didn't think, but reacted on pure instinct. He jerked at the controls, knowing that he didn't have time to swerve. Instead, he just cut the engines, letting the plane instantly plummet. The laser shot over his head and Scott didn't even have time to breathe before he was desperately getting the plane restarted and _not_ thinking about the ground that he was heading towards far too fast. As the engines kicked back into life, Scott took control, skimming the top of a tree as he fought for altitude again.

" _Captain, you've altered your course. Report."_

"It's firing!" Scott yelled, forgetting about protocol as he made sure that everything was working. He had let the plane swerve towards the sea as he climbed, but now angled it back towards the island again. One try was not going to be enough to put him off, not now he knew to be more on his guard.

" _Retreat, Captain. Pull back."_

"I'm going to take another shot…"

" _Pull out!"_

"I can do this."

" _Damnnit, Scott, get out of there!"_ It was only the fact that he wasn't the only one breaking protocol that made Scott hesitate.

"Roger that."

Scott sighed, knowing he couldn't disobey a direct order. While the ship waited for him, it too was in danger. Whoever was behind this might believe a slow moving target (they weren't leaving him behind just yet) was a better than Scott's plane. He began changing direction, allowing the co-ordinates from the ship to be patched through to him so that he knew where to land. But just before he began his turn, Scott swore as he caught another flash of red out of the corner of his eye. Knowing that he had just been shot at again, Scott made to react when there was another flash, then a third and finally a fourth.

His heart in his mouth, Scott desperately tried to force the plane to move. But the lasers beams were firing in all directions – he couldn't dive or climb without being hit, nor could he swerve. He was blocked in. Scrambling for the emergency ejector button, Scott slammed his hand over it just as the first of the lasers hit. The plane was rocked violently, the button jamming as it did so. Scott had just enough time to scream a mayday into the comms before the remaining three lasers also hit.

Smoke billowed around him and Scott coughed harshly as he tried to do something. The controls weren't responding and he knew the smoke that was filling the cockpit was also billowing from the plane in a clear spiral. No doubt the men on the ship would be able to see it from where they were. Realising that there was no way he was going to be able to anything, Scott tried to brace himself as much as he could as the plane plummeted towards the ground.

He wasn't sure if it was a relief or not that he blacked out just as the plane hit the trees. But the next thing Scott knew, there was the smell of burning and breathing was far harder than it had ever been before. Blindly, he scrambled for the safety strap holding him in his seat, coughing as he struggled to draw breath. As it clicked open, he pushed desperately at the plane's canopy, trying to force it open. Something seemed to be blocking it, however, and Scott could feel his eyes burning as he scrambled for a way out.

Despite not being able to see anything through the smoke, Scott could feel air movement. The seal on the cockpit had broken somewhere. Forcing himself to stay calm, Scott took in a deep a breath as he could manage and felt around the edge. The cover had lifted a little. All Scott had to do was figure out where and force it. It was getting hotter the more he moved and flickers of orange penetrated the smoke. A little voice in his head helpfully reported the plane was on fire and if it was near the engines, the chances were that the whole thing was about to explode, but Scott ignored it. His oxygen had all but run out by the time Scott saw the gap. It certainly wasn't big enough for a person, but a few well aimed kicks allowed him to force his way out.

The feeling of a light breeze playing through his hair was one of the most welcome sensations Scott could have asked for. His leg gave way under him as he all but fell from the plane, gasping for breath and lying where he landed, wondering how the hell he was still alive. But when his chest had stopped demanding oxygen in quite the same way, Scott was reminded of the thought telling him the plane would explode. Adrenaline pumped through him again and he scrambled upright, ignoring the blood pouring down his right leg. He had to at least find a way of sending out a communication, some sort of message that he was still alive.

But no sooner he had taken a stumbling step forward, there was a loud hiss as the flames found something else to feast upon. Swearing, Scott turned and ran, throwing himself behind a tree even as the plane went up with a tremendous bang. He felt the tree vibrate as a piece struck it and the slight movement was enough for him to slide to the floor, clutching at his leg. The sizzling of flames was the only thing he could hear and he found himself wondering whether anyone even inhabited this place. The plans had indicated the weapon could be controlled remotely or by hand. There was either a very dangerous man on this island with him or he was completely alone. Scott knew which he preferred.

Thinking of the weapon made Scott grit his teeth and force himself into standing once more. He had to find a way off this island, that much he knew. If that was to happen, it meant that others would have to be prepared to fly over this way. Letting his leg drag slightly behind him, Scott stumbled away from the tree. It had all happened so quickly, the sun was only just finishing rising now, and the pilot let that guide him as he limped through the trees. He had studied the diagrams of how to dismantle the weapon by hand if that was what it came to. Whatever it took, he was going to get to that machine and he was going to tear it to pieces. According to the diagrams, it needed time to recharge after firing. The issue had never been resolved as the weapon never got past the prototype stage. But it meant he had some time to reach it before it could shoot refused to let the thoughts cloud his mind as he realised he had nothing but his bare hands to do the job with and stubbornly forced himself onwards.

He had barely made it a mile before his leg gave way underneath him again and he was sent pitching forward. He stayed where he fell, struggling to stop the pain from clouding his senses and instead focusing on breathing through it. He was lucky that his leg was the only thing that had been seriously hurt, although he could feel the scrapes and bruises all over his body. But if luck had been on his side as he crashed, then Scott was determined that it was going to stay on his side. He managed to sit up, ripping a piece off the bottom of his shirt and making to bind the wound, only to realise there was something in it.

Scott cursed fluently as he yanked the piece of metal free and hastily bound the wound. He could already hear the lecture – strangely in Virgil's voice – telling him he had just made it bleed more. But it was better than the metal infecting it. Deciding to take a moment to regain his bearings, Scott stayed where he was, sitting on the ground. After a few moments, he began aware that although the sound of the burning plane had filtered away, he could hear something else.

Something that sounded suspiciously like footsteps.

Once again reacting to his instincts, Scott tried to drag himself off the path, realising that being found here would be he had only managed to drag himself a pace or so when someone entered his view. Scott drew himself upright, adamant that he was going to go down fighting rather than being stuck on the ground.

But no sooner had he made it upright when something happened that he absolutely wasn't expecting. The stranger's eyes flashed yellow and all Scott was aware of was the agony spearing through his head before the whole world went black again.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you so much once again! Nikki and Whirlgirl - a special thank you to you two as I can't respond directly. Really glad you are enjoying this and hope you like this next chapter._

* * *

 _Pain._

It was the only thing Scott could process as he returned slowly to consciousness. It wasn't just the throbbing in his leg. It felt as if every nerve was on fire, his body screaming at him to surrender back into the darkness. He didn't though. Scott stubbornly forced his eyes open and once he could think past the pain, he knew he was in trouble.

His eyes went wide as he stared around his surroundings. The room – what he could make out – was sparsely furnished; the walls bare and no home comforts visible. There was a small desk in front of him, an old-fashioned bulky computer resting on it and a low chair tucked in. Swallowing hard, Scott winced. He had clearly swallowed more smoke than he thought considering how much that had hurt. But as he looked around again, cold dread settled into him. He wasn't in an ordinary room. He was in some sort of control centre.

 _Where the hell was he?_

Scott shifted as he tried to look around the rest of the room. But his breath caught and his heart skipped a beat. He had realised when he woke that he was sitting up, but hadn't considered how he'd managed it since he had been unconscious. He had just found out.

He was sitting in a high backed chair. Thick straps bound his wrists to the arms of the chair and one jerk of his legs revealed his ankles were being held back in the same way. But what was really making Scott fight back the panic was the strap he could feel around his throat, keeping his head up against the back of the chair. Knowing he was trapped made him struggle, which made him breathe faster. That in turn made him feel the restrictions of the strap even more and increased his panic.

Finally, Scott took a deep breath, held it, then slowly let it go again, forcing himself to calm down. Attempting to ignore the binding around his neck as best as he could, he tried twisting his hands, hoping there would be enough give that he could slide free. He knew with one tug it wouldn't work. But he couldn't sit there and do nothing and so he continued. He had said from the beginning that he was not going to be the next one to go missing. He still stood by that now.

Eventually, Scott let the tension go from his body, forcing himself to relax. He wasn't getting out of this chair on his own and his instincts told him if he continued to struggle, then whoever had taken him was not going to be releasing him from it either. Scott thought about his mystery captor instead. He had barely got a glance at the man before he had blacked out. He was tall, but not overly so. Scott had a recollection of him being bald and was convinced he had been wearing some sort of robe. Other from that, he couldn't bring anything to mind.

Apart from the man's eyes.

There was no way that Scott was going to be forgetting them in a hurry. What colour they had been originally, he had no idea. But he knew he hadn't been imagining the way they had flared yellow. All he remembered after that was excruciating pain flaring through his body. Now he could think about it, however, Scott was convinced that the man's glowing gaze had been what had caused the pain. He had no idea how and while it wasn't normally the sort of thing he let himself dwell on, he could think of no other explanation. It hadn't been the injury on his leg – Scott knew he could handle that level of pain. The man had caused it and Scott shivered.

What precisely had he walked into?

Jolting his whole body, Scott struggled to pull himself free. The chair let out a loud screeching sound on the floor but barely moved. It had taken all of his strength to get it to move that much and Scott knew he wasn't going to be able to move it across the room as he had hoped. But he still refused to do nothing and was panting heavily by the time he let his head thud back against the chair.

He continued to try and look around the room. There had to be some sort of sign of who he was dealing with, but the limited vision and the pain meant Scott gave up on that as well. Just as he let out a long breath, he heard the unmistakeable sound of a door opening from somewhere behind him.

Scott twisted as much as he could, but the chair was too high. He could look at the back of it, but couldn't see over the top. It caused the strap around his neck to press uncomfortably into his skin as he twisted.

Soft footsteps marked the presence of whoever it was approaching. It was almost a relief when the figure appeared in Scott's eye-line, moving across to sit down at the desk.

It was the same man as before, there was no denying that. He moved the chair until he had his back to the computer, facing Scott. Touching the tips of his fingers together, the man rested his chin on them as he watched his prisoner closely. Despite all of his struggles before, Scott fell still and stared impassively back. He had been trained for hostage situations and he knew he couldn't let the man know how unnerved he was by all of this. He couldn't stop his hands from clenching into fists as best they could under the straps, however.

"Who are you?" Scott demanded, his voice low and quiet. He was surprised at how steady it sounded, but made sure he showed no emotion. His captor continued to watch him and Scott was sure there was amusement in his expression. It was almost as if he knew how hard Scott was trying not to shake

"I demand that you release me immediately!" he continued. "I am a member of the US Air Force and you have infringed the legislation in regards to air space by building your weapon. You are to dismantle it instantly and release me from this place."

This time, there was no denying the amusement on the man's face as Scott fell quiet. His heart rate had increased again as he tried to control his breathing, desperate not to show how nervous he was. The man was giving nothing away and - if he was honest - Scott wasn't sure what to do.

"Scott Tracy."

The man had a soft voice. It could have been soothing if it wasn't for the hatred lining the tone. Scott couldn't stop himself from flinching back at the voice, despite having tried to stay still. There was something about it that sent shivers down his spine.

"How did you-?" This time, he knew his own nervousness was showing, but the man simply nodded at him. Scott glanced down at his arm and sighed at his name tag. No wonder he knew his name, _Tracy_ was written across his sleeve. But then Scott realised that wasn't quite right either.

"How did you know my first name?" he asked quietly, knowing there was nothing either on him or in the smouldering ruins of the plane that would lead this man to know that. Even in an interrogation, Scott knew he wouldn't have said it. Name and number, those were the rules. But name only meant surname; first names became too personal if an enemy had them. The man smiled and Scott found that was even more frightening than just being watched.

The man's eyes flashed again and Scott braced himself for the pain he was sure was coming. But nothing happened to him this time, though the computer behind the man flared into life with a groan that Scott could sympathise with. The screen split into eight equal sections, four of which remained black. The top four, however, were clearly some sort of camera feed; different angles of the same room if Scott was seeing it right. There was someone – or something – moving in the centre of all four sections and Scott's heart was beating hard. He couldn't make out what it was, however, until the man leant back and pressed a few buttons. The screens zoomed in, only the active four now being shown. Scott frowned, leaning forward as best as he could. He was now certain it was a person and judging by their movements, their hands seemed to be anchored to the floor through short lengths of either chain or rope. But then the figure turned, twisting in his restraints and Scott couldn't stop the yell from escaping him as the person looked towards the camera.

It was Kevin.

"No! What have you done to him? Let him go!" Scott was struggling against the chair as furiously as he could. Only when he was panting and the strap around his neck felt tighter did he settle for glaring for all of his worth.

"Let him go!" he snarled. He suddenly wished he, too, had the power to drop a man with his eyes alone. The agony he had felt before would be nothing compared to what he would put this man through.

"Don't you want to know how I know your name?" The man was watching him closely again and Scott suddenly realised that the pieces still weren't quite adding up.

Scott froze. Kevin had only been missing for a week. Scott knew what training he had been through to withstand interrogation for it had been the same as his own. There must have been something in his expression that made his captor know what was going through his head. He physically hit a button this time and Scott could suddenly hear Kevin's voice.

" _Please, please, please. Hood, please…. Let me go, I'm ready, I'll do it. Please…"_

"He came in here," the man said silkily. Scott could barely hear his soft tones over Kevin's begging. "Identified you quicker than blinking. All for the promise of something to eat."

Scott shut his eyes as the man – Hood, Scott could only assume – turned the sound off again. The silence that fell afterwards made Scott realise how heavily he was still breathing. He knew that sound in a man's voice; Kevin had somehow been broken. His mind had effectively been lost to them if he was begging his captor to let him go because he was ready to do something. Scott didn't even want to know what that something was. Yet there was a cold sensation running down his spine that made him wonder whether he would be finding out regardless of if he wanted to or not.

"What have you done to him?" The Hood turned, glancing at the screen before turning back to Scott.

"You should worry more about what I'm _going_ to do. He's ready, he'll do my bidding. But now I have another volunteer and I can't let that go to waste."

Scott tensed, wondering if the man was about to kill him there and then. To his surprise, the man chuckled.

"Oh you won't get out of it that easily. He will still do the task I bid him, he can still infiltrate the Air Force for me. I have another job for you. My scanners indicate you came by ship before plane. I should have known WASP were involved. I'm feeling generous: I will send you back to them."

Scott tried to keep his face blank. It wasn't just WASP though. It was Gordon. His little brother. If the Hood succeeded with him the way he had with Kevin, it would be putting Gordon in danger. Scott couldn't allow that.

"You won't get away with this," he muttered. He wasn't sure if he was delivering a threat or a promise. The Hood laughed again, standing up and turning around. Scott couldn't see what he was doing, but by the time he had moved away, the screen had once again gone blank though the sound continued to play. Scott tried not to listen to Kevin's pleas.

"I already have." The Hood said softly, taking a step towards Scott. Scott glared up at him, but then gasped as all the straps seemed to tighten and he focused his attention on being able to swallow without feeling like he was about to lose consciousness again. The Hood had moved in that time and when Scott regained control of himself, it was just in time to hear the door shutting. Somehow, the lock turning seemed ironic. The door was the least of Scott's worries right now.

He spent the next few moments struggling against the chair, despite knowing his efforts were futile. Still, he knew that he couldn't just sit here. Whoever the Hood was, he was clearly mad. But that madness had potentially already destroyed Kevin in little more than a week. Scott knew that - despite having scored the highest out of his squadron during an interrogation drill - if the man had that sort of power, he wasn't going to be last any longer than his friend. He had just managed to brace himself as best as he could against the chair for an attempt to move it again when a sound came from the monitor that made Scott's blood run cold.

As Kevin's screams seemed to intensify and echo around the room, the pilot found himself struggling more furiously than ever. He had to get out of there before it was too late.

TBTB

Gordon sat with his legs hanging over the edge of the deck, a drink clutched in his hand as he glared angrily with unseeing eyes out to sea. They had moved far enough away now that only the ocean surrounded them, the island nothing more than a distant speck on the horizon. They hadn't, however, moved far enough to stop the great plumes of smoke being visible as his brother's plane had gone down. Gordon had yelled, he had begged them to turn back, but was dismissed as the boat was pointed to the open sea. The commanders had disappeared onto the bridge and everyone else had been dismissed even as smoke billowed into the sky from the island. They clearly weren't taking the chance of staying in range even though no more shots had been fired since the crash.

Gordon had sat with the rest of his team for about an hour before he couldn't take it any longer. Frankie kept sending him concerned looks but Gordon had ignored him. He hadn't even said anything when he had heard him quietly tell the rest of their team that the missing - he didn't say 'presumed dead', but Gordon heard the words there anyway - pilot was Gordon's brother. The silence from the rest of the team was intense before Gordon excused himself and wandered up to the deck. He had yelled out in frustration, but luckily no one had been around to hear him. Eventually, he had sunk to the ground with his feet dangling over the sea and hadn't yet found the energy to move.

He was convinced that Scott had survived the crash. The smoke had been thick; Gordon knew the whole plane must have gone up in flames. But this was Scott. His big brother, the one who was always there to make everything right again, no matter what happened. There was no way that he could be gone. Gordon refused to accept that. He knew the statistics about surviving crashes like that. He knew there wasn't much chance. But still, he knew that Scott was alive. There was no alternative, not in Gordon's mind.

But just as he was sure that his brother was out there, he was convinced no one would be sent looking for him. Whatever was on that island - whatever that weapon Scott had mentioned was - Gordon knew it was enough to keep everyone at bay. They wouldn't risk anyone else meeting the same fate, especially as Gordon knew they were assuming Scott had been killed in the crash. Cursing under his breath, Gordon angrily brushed a tear away. This couldn't be happening. This was never supposed to have happened. He knew there was the potential for something to go wrong with Scott being in the Air Force, just the same as there was the chance that something could happen to him in WASP. But that didn't mean Gordon had ever truly considered the chance that something _would_ happen. He had always been known as the lucky Tracy and Scott was Scott. It wouldn't happen, not to them.

Not again.

Gordon knew his mother's death had almost cost the family more than just her life. The Air Force would have been listening in. If they had already told the rest of the family he had been killed… Gordon gritted his teeth in anger, desperately wanting to throw something.

Scott wasn't dead!

This time, he couldn't stop himself and the bottle that had been resting lightly in a loose grip was suddenly flung violently out to sea.

"Hey." A gentle hand rested on his shoulder and Gordon looked around to see Frankie lower himself down next to him. Gordon held the eye contact for long enough to let Frankie know he wasn't being ignored before looking back out to sea. He had no intention of saying anything. He had left the others because he wasn't in the mood to be sociable with them. If they followed him out here, then that was their fault.

"How you holding up, bud?"

Gordon shrugged in answer, not being sure how he was supposed to say what was going through his mind. Didn't any of them understand that the only emotion he was feeling right now was anger? His brother was alive and out there and no one was going to make any attempt to go and find him! Frankie grimaced, but didn't say anything else, just letting his shoulder knock comfortingly against Gordon's. It seemed he didn't really know what to say either.

"He's alive, you know," Gordon eventually muttered, realising that sitting in silence with someone who cared was worse than sitting in silence on his own. "I know he is."

"Gords, that crash…"

"He's alive." Gordon's tone made it clear that he wasn't accepting any arguments about it.

"I believe you," Frankie said sincerely.

Gordon finally turned to look at him properly and knew in one glance that his friend was not just trying to humour him. Gordon believed that Scott was out there and that was good enough for Frankie. A small smile made its way onto Gordon's face before he turned his gaze back out to sea, realising that maybe some company would be nice after all. Silence fell between them again, only this time it was Frankie who broke it.

"Gords, you know… you know we've got your back, no matter what, right? Me and the guys, I mean. We're here with you on this."

Gordon frowned, wondering what the hell Frankie was talking about. He turned back, studying the man's face as Frankie purposefully avoided his gaze. After a moment, Gordon thought he knew what Frankie was thinking.

"Are you saying…"

"I'm not saying anything, buddy. Only that we've got your back. No matter what you choose to do."

This time, Gordon knew for certain. Frankie was clearly as aware as Gordon that there would be no recovery mission launched for Scott. Frankie didn't know about the weapon. He didn't know what had shot Scott down nor why the boat had already turned around. But he did know that Gordon wanted to go and look for his big brother.

Gordon knew he would never get clearance for it - nor would they let him go alone even if they did say yes. They were considered the newbies of the crew, they wouldn't be allowed out there. Unless, of course, no one knew that he had gone... Gordon bit his lip as he turned back to the sea, only this time, his gaze was thoughtful.

Could he do it? There were plenty of small boats roped to the side of the ship, it wouldn't be any problem to slip down into one of them. The engines were so quiet that over the hum of the main engines, no one would hear him go. But then there was the matter of being seen… He knew he would be caught before he got into the water.

"I'm on pre-dawn watch this time," Frankie suddenly mumbled. It made Gordon aware just how well Frankie knew him. No one else was up at pre-dawn watch. Gordon knew - he had done it enough times. And if it was Frankie who saw him go and then denied it, Gordon knew he could potentially have hours of a head start before they decided to come after him. If they were scared of getting too close to the island, those hours might be just what he would need to get out of their range in order to get away with it… Gordon knew there was every chance that he would be blown out of the water before he got close. But it was better than sitting here doing nothing.

"I'm heading to bed. Wake me if you need something."

Frankie rose and headed back inside, leaving Gordon with his thoughts whirring. He knew without a doubt that Frankie had talked it over with the rest of the team; he had come out here because he was the one who had been chosen to break the news that they would cover for him. Very slowly, Gordon felt a smile slip over his face and he jumped to his feet himself. Ten minutes later and he was back in the dining hall, trying to charm them into giving him some more food, using his age to an advantage and claiming that he was still growing.

He was amazed that it worked, but managed to secure himself some provisions. He hurried back to the cabin and let his small smile turn into a full grin when he found it empty. After all, if the rest of the team didn't know what he was up to, then they couldn't get into trouble for not stopping him.

By the time they did reappear, Gordon was in his hammock. He pretended to be asleep, knowing that the packed bag balancing on the end was enough of a give-away that he was going through with it. They didn't try and stop him, they didn't check to see if he was awake. Nor did they talk about it as he heard them all get into their own bunks.

He knew for sure that they truly did have his back on this.

Frankie woke him with a hand to the shoulder as he slipped out for his shift. Gordon was surprised he had managed to get any sleep at all, for he had lain awake until the early hours of the morning thinking about what he was doing. It would potentially mean that his career with WASP was over, that his dream of serving had come to an end.

But it would also mean that he had his brother back.

At the end of the day, he knew there was no real competition between the two. He would give up his career a thousand times over if it meant that Scott was safe.

He rose swiftly, having slept in his clothes. Shouldering his bag, he slipped out after Frankie, making sure he stayed in the shadows until he was convinced the man Frankie was relieving had made it below deck. Frankie was up on the upper levels of the ship, but Gordon knew it was no coincidence that he had pointedly taken up position facing the other way. There would be no denying that he would get into trouble for this, but Gordon knew it would simply be a slapped wrist for not paying attention rather than the complications of having helped Gordon leave. Anyone on the bridge would be looking the other way believing Frankie had this end covered and the boats were too small to show up on the radar. He could do it.

His footsteps were light and swift as he ran across the deck. Despite knowing there would be no one else around, Gordon was not prepared to take the chance that he could be heard. He knew that he was only getting one shot at this and if it went wrong, it was over. He had to get this right for Scott's sake.

He took the boat on the end, knowing it offered the quickest get-away. He threw his bag in and then pressed down on the lever that lowered it the rest of the way to the water. Using a spare piece of rope, Gordon awkwardly jammed the handle down and jumped into the boat while it was still swinging in mid-air, cursing the fact that it was usually a two person job. He had never been so grateful to hit the water and quickly untied the rope binding the boat to the ship. Firing up the engine, Gordon whispered a thank you to Frankie as he shot out to open sea, heading back towards the island.

"Hold on, Scotty, I'm coming," Gordon whispered, more as a way of reassuring himself than anything. And with that, he moved swiftly back towards the island and, hopefully, towards his brother.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you so much for the reviews and support once again._

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Gordon would be glad when he reached the island. Every passing second increased the tension. He waited for the shout of alarm, for someone to be sent after him, to be dragged back in disgrace, leaving Scott to his fate. But he had made it away from the ship and out into open water without incident. No one had been watching. Frankie was the only one looking towards the island. Anyone else awake would be looking at instruments and radars and Gordon was small enough to slip under both. No signal was given.

Despite knowing he had completed the first step, Gordon couldn't relax. He felt his heart in his mouth for the entire journey, something that stretched an age. There was a reason why the ship had moved as soon as Scott had launched. He only knew what he had picked up from Scott about the weapon. By the sounds of it, no one was sure on its range. They had no idea if they were safe or sitting ducks and so had fled to a safer distance. Gordon knew the closer he got, the more chance he had of being hit. He only hoped that – as with the ship's instruments – he was too small to trigger an alarm.

The sun had risen when Gordon was only halfway there, beating down as he directed the boat towards the island. He was glad he had left early; if he'd had to do the whole journey in this sort of heat then he would have never made it to the island. Common sense told him there had to be drinking water there considering there seemed to be an inhabitant, but Gordon had come prepared anyway. Still, he sipped sparingly at the water, not wanting to finish it too quickly. Whoever did live on this island had shot his brother down. Gordon wasn't planning on knocking on the door to ask for a drink.

It was a relief when the water became shallow and clear, the waves calming to a gentle ripple. Gordon cut the engine and used a small oar to propel him the last part. He had avoided being shot so far and didn't want to draw attention to himself now. When the boat slowly grounded itself on a rocky beach, he leapt out, ignoring the water lapping around his ankles. He took hold of a rope and hauled the boat further up, hiding it behind some larger rocks. It was his – _their_ \- only way off the island and he didn't intend to lose it.

When he was sure it was secure and hidden from prying eyes, Gordon hoisted his small bag onto his back. He didn't have much - what food he had been able to charm out of the chefs, water and some medical supplies. Despite his optimism telling him that Scott was alive, Gordon knew his big brother might have a scrape or two to patch up after crashing that spectacularly.

He took the gun from the top of the bag and pushed it through his belt. He wasn't sure what would be missed first - him or the weapon. He also knew there was no way he was risking Scott's life for anything. He was going to make sure that whoever was responsible for this found out what happened when you messed with a Tracy. His actions now might be more extreme than when they had been children taking on playground bullies, but Gordon knew it would prove to his brother he had grown up.

Satisfied he had everything he needed, he set off at a jog. He wanted to move fast, but knew tiring himself out wasn't going to help anyone. The beach gave way to a thick forest and he blew out a breath in annoyance. Why couldn't have someone signposted the way to his brother?

But when he took the first few steps into the trees, Gordon stopped. A small smile began to work its way over his face. It was as if someone had done just that, for on the ground by his feet was a small piece of metal. Normally, he might have overlooked it. But he was in a forest. There was only one source he could think of that would cause metal to be scattered around. Keeping his eyes peeled and moving slowly to make sure he didn't stray, Gordon began to slowly follow the pieces of Scott's plane. They got larger the further into the jungle he went and the young man knew it had been lucky some had landed so close to the beach.

But he was also aware while it might have been lucky for him, it meant that the plane must have exploded on crashing to spread out this far. And if that was the case, did that mean his optimism had been for nothing? Big brother or not, even Scott couldn't survive an explosion. Gordon forced himself not to think like that. Scott was a survivor, just like he was. After all, he had to have learnt it from somewhere. He refused to accept he could be throwing away everything just to find a corpse. Gordon obstinately clung to the thought that Scott was fine. Nothing else was an option.

Gordon let a low whistle slide past his teeth when he finally made it to the main part of the plane. A few larger pieces had survived, but they were blackened and charred. He swallowed hard, but forced his feet to continue walking. He had to get closer. His heart was screaming at him to turn around and run, but he had to know once and for all whether Scott had been in it when it had exploded.

The wreckage was still smoking and the heat made Gordon wince. Pulling his sleeve across his nose and mouth to drown out some of the acrid smoke filling his airways, he gingerly stepped over some of the debris. He had to skirt around nearly the whole thing before he could get close enough to see. As he neared, however, Gordon realised a lot of the cockpit still seemed to be in one piece. The wings might have been destroyed but this was no ordinary plane. The Air Force had designed it to give the pilot a chance, and the cockpit was made of sterner material than the rest of the plane. As he clambered over a jutting-out piece of metal, Gordon stopped suddenly. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry as he examined the cockpit. There was no body. Not even the charred remains of something that could resemble a body. It meant only one thing.

Scott hadn't been in the plane when it had exploded.

There was no sign of his brother in the cockpit or the surrounding area. There was an opening in the cockpit. It was big enough for someone to have got free, of that Gordon was sure. His gaze dropped to the ground, tracking intently as he managed to identify footprints. Scott had got out and away, coming to a stop a few feet from the wreckage. Gordon could tell he stopped there for a moment and he tried not to wince himself when he saw the smear of blood on a nearby tree. Scott had been hurt, but then tracks led away from the tree, deeper into the forest. His brother had walked away from the explosion. Not only was he alive, he was uninjured enough to move.

Gordon had been determined Scott was alive just because he couldn't face the alternative. But now it seemed it wasn't just him being optimistic. Scott really was alive, stuck on this island somewhere. Hating the fact that he was now using his brother's blood as his markers, Gordon continued tracking through the jungle. If Scott was losing this much blood, then surely he couldn't have made it far? He would have stopped somewhere to try and treat the wound, even if he didn't have any supplies with him. All Gordon had to do was continue to follow the marks and he would come across his big brother.

But somehow, he knew that it wouldn't be that easy. Scott had been gone for almost twenty-four hours now (and already Gordon was cursing at wasting a day brooding over what had happened). Gordon knew their training hadn't been that different. Scott would have attempted to signal someone if he could, even if he had to use the wreckage in order to do so. But there were no tracks leading back, only going deeper into the forest.

After following them for a while, Gordon frowned. Scott _had_ stopped to deal with the wound and Gordon flinched when he saw the small piece of bloodied metal on the floor. He knew without having to ask how much that must have hurt! Grateful he had brought medical supplies with him, Gordon crouched to the ground to work out what had happened next. The tracks seemed to stop here.

At least, Scott's did.

Unless Gordon was mistaken, someone had approached his brother from the opposite direction to the wreckage. There were barely any prints; the man's steps had clearly been far lighter than Scott's tread in his boots. But branches were pushed back where Scott had turned to look and there _was_ a second set of prints, however faint.

But Gordon couldn't work out what happened next. Scott hadn't walked away but he clearly wasn't still here either. An unpleasant thought entered Gordon's mind and he sprang to his feet, racing to where the branches were forced back. His hand rested on his gun as he bent to examine them. Then he looked down and swallowed. The faint prints vanished under a smooth track and Gordon knew what it meant. Scott hadn't walked away because he had been pulled. The path had been made by Scott's dragging heels, the broken branches snapping back under the assault. They added up to only one thing. Someone had taken his brother by force.

As soon as the thought registered, Gordon's hand shifted until he gripped the gun properly. Someone did live on this island and Gordon could only assume that same someone had taken Scott. Gordon knew how stubborn Scott was. He wouldn't have passed out, he would have gritted his teeth and kept walking, determined to show strength in front of a stranger. The idea that the mystery person had knocked his brother out made Gordon shudder. The prints didn't indicate Scott had even attempted to put up a fight.

Now he had located the drag marks, it was easy to follow them. This man - whoever it was - hadn't been expecting anyone to follow Scott out here. Gordon knew he had managed to slip under the radar. With no smoking wreckage signalling his arrival, no one knew he was here. He had completed his training and knew he was good in a fight. He could take this stranger. He refused to think that Scott was just as capable and was now missing.

He didn't have to follow the tracks very far before a low building came into view. It wasn't the only one - there was a sprawl of them hidden in the layout of the land. This particular part rested in a valley between two hills. Gordon had no idea it was there until he was almost on top of it. He paused as he stared down at it, wondering what on earth he had stumbled across. This was certainly no innocent individual who wanted a break from society. When he thought about the weapon, he shuddered. Whoever this was knew what he was doing and Gordon had no idea how many men were here. He could be ambushed by an untold number at any time and there was nothing he could do about it. He had to find Scott. But it was going to be much harder than he thought considering he had no idea who he was up against.

He followed the marks to one of the buildings on the outskirts of this strange settlement. The door was closed and there was a heavy bolt across the top. Gordon's fingers ghosted along it but he didn't pull. He didn't want to alert anyone to his presence before he knew where Scott was. If that man was in there with Scott, Gordon knew his brother could be killed as soon as the man heard the bolt.

He backed away, beginning to search around the edge of the building. He was looking for anything that gave a sign as to whether Scott was still in there. The place was huge and Gordon knew he didn't have time to search it all. The person who had attacked Scott was around somewhere and for all Gordon knew, so was the mystery weapon. He hoped not. If it could target both the skies and the seas, it would need a higher vantage point than the valley but Gordon wasn't leaving anything to chance.

"Where are you, Scotty?" Gordon muttered, having circled the building, finding no window to reveal what was going on inside. Eventually, he rested his back against it, grateful for the shade it offered him and ran a hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. He had made it to the island and confirmed that Scott had survived the plane crash.

And yet he didn't seem to be any closer to finding his brother than when he had first heard the news back on the ship.

TBTBTB

Scott didn't realise he had lost consciousness until he was opening his eyes again. Just as he knew he had been sitting up the first time he had come round, he knew instantly that this time he was sprawled across the floor. His head pounded mercilessly and he tried to think what the last thing he could remember was. Thinking was painful and when nothing came to mind, he gave up and looked around instead.

He was in a completely different room from last time. It's wasn't large, but he also knew that he couldn't get to the walls. Not because of the size, but because he couldn't move more than a few feet in any direction. Manacles were locked around his wrists, each attached to a ring in the floor by a length of chain. Scott knew he would be able to stand should his legs choose to co-operate, but he wouldn't be able to take more than a step or so in either direction before being pulled up short. He wrapped the end of one chain around his foot and straightened out his leg as hard as he could. It was no surprise when he jerked rather than the chain breaking.

Deciding if he wasn't going to be breaking free, he wanted to at least stand, Scott slowly rose. A wave of dizziness made him stumble, automatically trying to put his hand out to steady himself. He lurched when only air met his hand but managed to stay upright. Once he was up, he stood still. His body protested the movement, yet Scott couldn't recall why he hurt so much. His teeth gritted as standing took its toll and he lowered himself first to a crouch, then until he was sitting. Eventually, he curled up, shivering slightly. The room was cool and he had nothing to warm himself with.

Trying to ignore the churning in his stomach, Scott let his mind drift while absently picking at the cuffs around his wrists. He didn't think they would give, but he had to try something. The room looked the same as the one Kevin had been held in and Scott would have bet anything that his image now occupied the second half of that monitor. Twisting his head, he glanced around for the cameras that he was certain were present, but couldn't see anything. All he could make out was the blank canvas of the wall. Where the ring was welded into the floor was the only thing that broke the smooth surface in the whole room and Scott sighed, kicking out at it.

For a while, he just lay there. For a reason that was beyond him, he didn't seem to have any strength. Gradually, his mind began piecing together how he had ended up here.

The Hood had returned after he had been dealing with Kevin, although what he was doing to the man, Scott had no idea. It was haunting and unnerving to hear Kevin's screams and not have a clue what the Hood was doing. There were no other sounds, no indication that the Hood was beating him or anything like that. Kevin was simply screaming. Scott had fought wildly against the straps holding him down. At one point, he had almost managed to work a wrist free. Then the Hood had come back.

Within seconds, the straps had been reinforced and Scott was slammed back against the chair harder than ever. But yet again, the Hood hadn't touched him. The last thing Scott could remember clearly after that was the Hood coming to sit in his chair in front of him and turning to look at him. Then his eyes had gone yellow and Scott couldn't remember anything after that. He had a feeling he might have been screaming as loudly as Kevin at one point, but the memory was murky. The next thing he had known for sure was when he had woken up in here a few moments ago.

With the memory returning to him, Scott found it was easier to deal with the pain his body seemed to be in. While he wasn't sure what the Hood had done, knowing at least when it had happened calmed his thoughts. As his mind settled, Scott focused on what he had been taught in training and breathed through the pain, forcing his body to stay relaxed as he slowly worked the tension and pain from it. It would have been a lot easier if his leg wasn't throbbing and pulsing at him. Scott had managed to secure a strip of fabric around it after ripping it from the bottom of his shirt, but blood was already staining it. He didn't know what else to do though. Until he got out of here, he just had to hope he didn't pass out from lack of blood.

Once he was sure that he would be able to stand without falling over, he carefully did so. He braced himself as best as he could and went back to tugging on the chains. Realistically, he knew it wasn't going to get him anywhere. After a few pulls, he knew he had more chance of breaking his wrist. That certainly wasn't going to make escaping any easier, so Scott focused on the links themselves instead. He was adamant that as long as he didn't give up, he would find a way out.

There was a burning thirst in the back of his throat and his stomach was growling at him for reasons other than pain by the time Scott felt something. To start with, he thought he had imagined it but a second tug revealed there was a slight give in two of the links, one on either arm. Scott curled up again, using his body to shield him from wherever the cameras were as he began to put pressure on the weak links. Despite his thrill at finding a potential way out, his hands were bloodied and shaking by the time he managed to get the cuffs out of the chains and he knew hours had passed. The manacles were still around his wrists, but he was no longer bound to the floor.

Scott slowly stood up, making sure his movements were controlled to avoid giving himself a head rush. He cried out as his leg took his weight, but breathed through the pain and forced himself to focus. Once he was stable, he slowly moved across to the door, not making a sound. His fingers brushed against the handle and he was not surprised to find it locked. Stepping back, Scott gritted his teeth and kicked out hard. His weight was on his bad leg and Scott thought it would collapse under him. Luckily, a second kick broke the lock and he took a moment to steady himself as he pushed the door open. The cool evening air allowed him to clear his head and he could suddenly think again. Taking a deep breath, he breathed out slowly and centred himself. He could do this.

He _had_ to do this.

Instinct told him something was wrong about how easy the door had been to open. But he shrugged it off, certain the Hood wouldn't expect him to be able to get out of the chains. Why guard a door that the prisoner wasn't even supposed to get to? But as soon as he had taken a step away from the building, Scott knew that he couldn't leave. He had to get to Kevin. He was only out here because he had been determined to find out what had happened to the man. It didn't matter what the Hood had done to him, Scott was going to make sure that he brought his friend home.

Glancing around, Scott realised he didn't know where to look for his friend. There were a few sprawling buildings, each as likely as the next. His gaze fell on the one next to where he had just emerged from. Deciding it was a good place to start looking, Scott checked that he wasn't being watched. There was an uncomfortable feeling trickling down his spine, but the pilot put it down to the situation as a whole. He approached the building.

Looking back on that moment, Scott could have kicked himself for being so stupid. He had specifically been trained not to ignore his instincts. It was those instincts that had earned him his promotion to captain for one thing. But all Scott was thinking about was getting away from the madman with the yellow eyes and getting Kevin back to his wife. With one last look around, he stretched out his hand. The lock on his door had been easy to break, Scott was sure Kevin's would be the same.

He never found out.

As soon as his hand touched the handle, Scott was thrown backwards off his feet, his body jerking as an electrical current ran through him. It didn't last long, but by the time it passed, he could barely even sit up, let alone stand. He could feel his whole body shaking and every nerve felt as if it was on fire as he panted, desperately trying to draw a breath.

Just as he finally managed to stop his chest heaving, a pair of feet entered his vision, coming to stop either side of his head. Scott managed to force his head back to look up and saw the Hood standing over him, a smirk on his face as he looked down at the fallen pilot.

"I really thought you would have found the links quicker. Such a disappointment."

"You-" Scott didn't know what he was going to say. But his body continued to shake and this time, it was with anger.

"I thought you would have made it out of the chains in an hour. It took you two. It seems your reputation has proceeded you, Scott Tracy."

Scott glared. Kevin had clearly told the Hood more than just his name. He tried to push himself into an upright position, but his arms refused to take his weight. After crashing back down, he lay still. He didn't want to give the Hood the satisfaction of seeing him fail again. It was easier to scowl.

"What have you done to him?" he spat. He was surprised how hoarse his voice was. Was it lack of fluid or had he indeed been screaming? He worried about Kevin more than himself, though. The man had screamed as soon as Scott had first seen him on the screen. There was no telling what he would be like now after another round with the Hood.

"Preparing him," the Hood said. He began to crouch down. Scott made an effort to shift himself away, his teeth gritted against the pain. But his body refused to listen to him. When the Hood placed his palm in the centre of his forehead, Scott adamantly tried to pull away. But the Hood pressed harder and his eyes flashed.

Scott fought against the darkness with everything he could. But it was suffocating, blanketing over his mind, and he couldn't throw it off, no matter what he tried. Grunting with the effort, he tried to move one last time before the tension drained from his body and the whole world went black.


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you so much once again - especially Whirlgirl and Nikki. Hope you like this next part._

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Gordon had managed to find himself a vantage point looking over the low lying buildings. The morning had been spent scouting around them. He had found a few locked ones, but didn't force the lock. He wanted to know for sure where Scott was before drawing attention to himself. But as the day drew on, hunger gnawed at him and he knew he wasn't going to be much help if he passed out from lack of food. He scrambled up the hill until a sparse few trees offered him a hiding place. He had been using the buildings for cover before, but it was too close to his mysterious enemy for him to stay there. Not to mention he couldn't see what was going on from down there. Gordon made sure he was hidden before breaking into the rations he had brought with him.

Eating hungrily, he kept a careful watch on the complex in front of him. He couldn't figure it out. He hadn't seen anyone so far, although he knew at least two people had to be on the island – Scott and whoever had taken him. The buildings were sturdy but old and Gordon wondered if this had been a base for some sort of operation years ago that had now been taken over. It was eerie how quiet it was and Gordon vowed that he was going to break every lock he found once he finished lunch. He hadn't seen anyone else and knew if he wanted to free Scott, he was going to have to bust some locks. It was worth the risk now he had checked out the area. The sooner he found his brother and they could leave this place, the better.

He had just finished taking a swig of water when a bang made him jump. He instantly checked his position but realised he was still alone. He looked back at the buildings. Then he frowned, dropped to his stomach and edged forward. One of the doors was wide open and judging by the bang, Gordon knew it had to have been forced. Gordon backed up and packed up swiftly. Hoisting the bag onto his back, he pressed himself low to the ground and edged forward again. This was the first sign of movement he had seen the entire time he had been here and he was not about to lose a chance to find Scott.

Crawling as far forward as he dared, Gordon smirked as he reached the edge. It dropped away in a sharp decline – another pace forward and he would fall. His brothers and father had always told him not to get too close to the edge and here he was, doing as he was told. But then his attention was drawn back to the building and he gasped before smiling as someone emerged. It wasn't the creep but the other person Gordon was convinced was on the island. There was no mistaking the military uniform even from this distance and Gordon knew his brother well enough to recognise him as he stumbled from the building. He was weaving slightly and Gordon felt his anger stir as he realised Scott probably hadn't had any sustenance since arriving here. That would not be enough to stop his brother though and Scott continued to move. But to Gordon's utmost surprise, his brother didn't immediately dash from the area as fast as he could. Despite that being what Gordon would have done, he instead moved towards another building.

"What the hell-?" Gordon muttered, climbing to his feet but not taking his eyes off the scene. Scott checked the area, but continued his approach. Gordon couldn't deny the bad feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. Something about this that didn't seem right, although Gordon couldn't put his finger on what was troubling him so much. His legs were braced; he wanted to race down to his brother and reassure himself Scott was really alright and get out of here as fast as possible. But he knew as soon as he moved, he would lose sight of what was happening.

As Scott approached the door, Gordon froze. He didn't know what he expected to happen. But he wasn't quick enough to muffle his cry as Scott was suddenly blasted off his feet. The door had been rigged with something and Gordon snapped into action. Then he stumbled to a stop again. Another figure had instantly appeared from around the building. Gordon knew he must have been there the whole time, hidden in the shadows and waiting for Scott to try and open the door. Gordon shuddered. He had been watching the buildings for some time and yet had no idea that man was there. What else had he missed? Gordon reckoned someone was in the building; his brother wouldn't have risked it for anything else. His fury increased ten-fold as Scott's back arched. He told himself it was only in his imagination that Scott had cried out. But he knew it wasn't true.

This time, Gordon didn't hesitate. He hurtled down the slope, skidding to a stop at the bottom and forcing himself to move at a steadier pace. He couldn't help Scott if the creep found out he was here. Catching his breath so it couldn't give him away, Gordon used the buildings for cover as he worked his way towards the centre, trying to remember where Scott had been. It was harder to tell from down here compared to the hill, but Gordon kept moving. He had worked out the lay-out that morning and was sure he knew where he was going.

He found the building Scott had been attempting to enter. There was a strange hum he couldn't place, but there were no windows that Gordon could peer through. He had no idea what was in there that Scott had deemed so important. Deciding that wasn't his priority, Gordon followed the drag marks that his brother once again had made when his captor had pulled him away. It led to a smaller building…and the door was still open. Gordon stole forward, hiding in the shadows as he peered in, watching what was happening.

Scott was motionless, but he wasn't alone. The creep was crouched over his brother and Gordon drew back quickly when the man started to straighten up. He had seen enough; his brother was chained to the floor - however Scott had got out before, he wouldn't be doing the same thing now. Part of him wanted to shoot this man multiple times before getting his brother home, but reason stayed his hand. Whoever this was, he had knocked Scott out without touching him. For all Gordon knew, he had done something to his brother. Gordon was not going to be the reason why anything else happened to Scott, not when he had come here to save him. It took every ounce of self-control that he possessed, but Gordon backed away from the door. He scuffed out his own footprints and hid around the side of the building – just in time. Scott's captor was walking out of the door.

For a split second, Gordon thought he had been spotted as the man looked his way. Ducking, he sprinted around the building, finding himself back where Scott had dropped. He couldn't see the entrance to Scott's prison; for all he knew, the man was keeping guard there. He needed a plan to get Scott out. But as he stood there thinking, Gordon realised he was once again beside the other prison. Wondering what was so important, Gordon stretched out a hand, only to catch himself at the last moment. Something about this door had dropped Scott quicker than Gordon had been able to shout a warning and he was not about to make the same mistake.

He reached out and picked up a small leaf from the ground before throwing it at the door. The second it touched, it burst into flames with a sizzling noise before floating to the ground. Gordon blew out a long breath, a frown on his face. Where was John when he needed him? Or Virgil for that matter, for he was sure either of his older brothers would have been able to deactivate the current protecting the door. But just as he thought there was no way he was going to be able to approach, he saw something off to one side that changed his mind. A small smile spread over his face as he took a couple of steps to the side, wondering just how desperate Scott had been if he had missed it. Just next to the door, almost out of sight was a small black box. Gordon knew he wasn't the smartest out of the brothers, but even he knew how to open a fuse box and yank every wire he could see. Desperately hoping that he hadn't set off any alarms, he picked up another leaf and repeated his earlier experiment. The leaf simply fluttered to the ground on colliding with the door.

Gordon approached cautiously. He used the butt of his gun to break the lock and heaved at the door, forcing his way inside. Scott was hurt – he didn't have time to be quiet any more. But if Scott was hurt, it was going to take time to move him. Time Gordon didn't have. If he could free this person first, he could then get his brother and go. He wanted to leave as soon as he had Scott, not save someone else. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, the dimness a shock after the bright sunshine outside. But after a few seconds, he realised he wasn't alone. Someone was huddled against the far side and Gordon moved fast. He didn't know who it was, but that didn't matter. Scott had been prepared to risk his freedom to get this person out, the least Gordon could do was make sure he was alright.

As he approached, he realised it wasn't going to be that easy. The person was curled up, his arms wrapped around his knees and his face hidden away. He could see there was a single chain fastened to his ankle. The way he seemed to be rocking slightly gave Gordon more of a cause for concern.

"Hey," he murmured quietly. He approached and crouched down, but didn't know what else to do. "I'm here to help you. I'm going to get you out. Can you tell me your name?"

"Do it, do it, do it, must do it, do, do, do it…"

Gordon froze, his eyes going wide and he felt sick. Whoever this person had been, it was not who they were now. He glanced around for some clue of what had been done to drive him to this, but nothing revealed itself. Unbidden, the memory of the creep dropping his brother without touching him sprung into Gordon's mind and he swore. Whoever this lunatic was, he had somehow got into his prisoner's head. And Scott had been here, at his mercy.

Knowing he couldn't waste any more time, Gordon moved forward. The man didn't seem to be aware of his presence as Gordon pulled a couple of small tools from his belt and made short work of picking the lock around his ankle. He knew he couldn't take this man with him to get Scott out; he didn't know what state his brother was in. Scott came first. Gordon didn't care if it was harsh thinking on his behalf – he was not going to risk Scott's safety because he had his hands full with someone already broken. He was going to have to come back after all - in this state, the man could give them away faster than Gordon could blink.

After promising that he would be back – and not knowing if he had been heard - Gordon reluctantly backed away. It went against his nature to leave someone like this, but knew it was only going to be for a short time. He hoped now the man was unchained, it would be enough to calm him down.

Just as the dim light had startled him, Gordon blinked a few times in the sunshine before hastily glancing around. There was no movement; it didn't look as if anyone had seen him. Pulling on the door, Gordon pulled it to, making sure he didn't shut it properly but buying himself some more time if anyone were to walk past. It didn't look obviously open.

But the find had shaken him and Gordon wanted to get to Scott more than ever, Just because his brother was alive didn't mean he was okay, not if this prisoner was anything to go by. He needed Scott to yell at him for disobeying orders by coming out here and then he knew he would be fine. If Scott was anything like that man however… Gordon stopped his thoughts there. Positive thinking had got him this far, he was not going to lose his brother to the doubts in his mind now.

He ran back to Scott's prison, once again checking that no one seemed to be watching him. It crossed his mind that the creep could be inside, but Gordon refused to dwell on it. Despite wanting to just burst in, he forced himself to check the door carefully and it paid off. Scott's door had also been electrified. Gordon threw a rock at the fuse box this time, grinning as it sparked angrily and the low humming noise around the door stopped. Hurrying forward, he broke the lock, but then frowned when the door didn't open. Only at the last moment did he see the heavy bolt just within his reach and, fingers scrambling, he slowly drew it back. Somehow, it was reassuring. If the door needed to be secured more than the other prisoner's, then it meant that Scott was resisting. It also soothed Gordon's worries over the maniac – he had to be on the outside if the door was bolted.

With the locks drawn back, Gordon set his shoulder to the door and pushed, allowing it to open. The building was dark and for a moment, he was yet again blind. But as his eyes adjusted, he felt his heart jump into his mouth at seeing a figure curled up on the floor with his back to the door.

Surely Scott had to be faking it?

"Scott?" His heart in his mouth, Gordon stepped into the darkness, not being sure what he was about to find.

TBTB

Scott could feel the cuffs back around his wrists before consciousness properly returned to him. He stubbornly kept his eyes shut as he pulled and it came as no surprise when he only had a limited amount of movement before he was pulled up short. Sighing, he opened his eyes, knowing what he was going to see before he looked. He was right; he was back where he had started. Once again he was cuffed to the floor, but something told Scott there would be no weak link this time. That didn't stop him from wrapping the chain around his foot and trying to force his leg out straight, attempting to make it give slightly.

After just a few moments, Scott fell back, panting. He could still feel trembles running through his body and knew that he couldn't have been out for that long this time if the shocks were still making themselves known. His leg was screaming at him but he forced himself to ignore it. He had to ignore the pain if he wanted to get out of here. He must have been unconscious just long enough for the maniac to lock him back up. But how was he supposed to get out of here when he was up against someone who seemed to be able to knock him out from a distance?

For the first time, Scott was beginning to understand how Kevin had broken. The whole situation was impossible!They were trained to escape – find a weakness and exploit it until freedom was the result. He had been doing that - and had got away only to find the whole thing had been a trap. Did this man even _have_ any weaknesses? Scott shook his head. He refused to believe that. Everyone had a weakness; he just needed more time to figure it out. He was going to get out of there, destroy the weapon and take Kevin home. Failing was not an option; Scott wasn't going to let it happen. He had sworn all along that he would not be the next man to go missing and he stuck by that promise. He was going home.

Once he had worked out how to get out of the chains, at least.

The small cuts littering his fingers from his first escape had barely stopped bleeding before Scott opened them up again, attempting to scrabble his way free of the chains. The Hood might have been bluffing; there could be a genuine loose link this time. How much time passed while he clung to that thought, Scott had no idea. But eventually, his hand slipped from the chain and he couldn't bring his fingers to grip it again. He was trembling too much. Then he realised the shakes might have nothing to do with the shock he had been given. When was the last time he had eaten or drunk? How long had he even been here for? Thanks to his blackout and the lack of daylight in his prison, he had absolutely no idea and that scared him.

Had word already been sent to his family that he was dead? Had WASP moved from the area as soon as they saw the plane go down? Had Gordon… Scott froze, his heart pounding hard. He had seen the smoke pouring from his plane as he had plummeted. He knew full well that it would have been visible for all to see as he dropped from the sky. The smoke would have been everyone's sign that this whole mission was futile.

And his little brother would have only been able to stand there and watch, believing that Scott was dead. Suddenly, it didn't matter whether word had been sent to the others. Words could be denied. But Gordon had seen it and Scott knew a sight like that would not leave his brother's mind any time soon. It was more important than ever to get back. He had to make sure Gordon knew he was okay, he had to make sure his little brother was alright. The thought fuelled him, give him a strength that he had been previously lacking. Scott once again wrapped the chain around his foot and kicked out as hard as he could.

This time, he didn't stop. It didn't matter how much he was aching or how much his body was screaming at him, Scott was determined to get out. He only paused when he slipped, rolling onto his side and realised he was panting. Letting out a shout of frustration, he gave one last angry kick and curled up.

He shivered. He wasn't sure if it was the temperature or his reaction to everything. Would the Hood leave him in here and let him starve to death or would he come back? Scott hoped it was the latter - he had more chance of working out the man's weaknesses if he was at least in the same room. He also couldn't spring out at him again if Scott could see him. Still, Scott couldn't deny that the thought of the Hood being in there scared him. He would never admit it, but knowing there was something about the man that he couldn't fight sent shudders down his spine.

His concern over what would happen next didn't last for long. He managed to sit up and had gone back to tugging on the chains again when he heard the sound of a bolt being drawn back. He realised he had to be in a different building to before – there had been no bolt then. But he couldn't dwell on that now. He made to brace himself and then changed his mind at the last moment. Instead, he curled back up again, his back to the door as he heard it opening. If the Hood wanted a reaction from him, he was going to have to come in himself. For a moment, there was silence. But then came a voice that Scott certainly wasn't expecting to hear.

"Scott?"

Despite telling himself it was some sort of trick, Scott sat up so fast his head spun and he almost toppled. But even after blinking rapidly for a moment, he knew what he was seeing was real. His little brother was somehow standing opposite him. Gordon's whole body was tense and there was an unreadable expression in his eyes even the dim lighting of the room couldn't hide. But as Scott moved, a smile spread across his face and then Gordon was moving.

"Wha-?" Scott could only gape, his eyes darting to the door as he tried to get some moisture in his mouth. He didn't know how long it had been since he last had a drink - adrenaline had kept him going. Gordon dropped to the floor next to him and Scott sat there – unmoving - as Gordon pulled a lock pick from his belt and set about freeing his wrists from the cuffs.

"How are you here?" Scott's eyes darted anxiously towards the door and he kept his voice down, acutely aware of how fast his heart was pounding. Gordon glanced up at him before turning his attention back to the task at hand.

"I teleported, how else?" he deadpanned and Scott grinned despite it hurting to do so. One hand was freed and he didn't wait, pulling Gordon into a brief hug before plucking the lock pick from his hand and setting to work on the other wrist himself. Gordon grinned and Scott looked away. It wasn't military training to learn how to pick locks. But Gordon wasn't the only one who had picked things up in their youth. He had to wonder if John had taught Gordon as well as him – although where John had learnt was still beyond the oldest brother.

Gordon fell back and watched him but Scott was aware there was something deeply troubling his brother. Something greater than finding his older sibling chained up on a supposedly deserted island after watching him be shot down.

Scott gave Gordon a moment to collect himself while he freed the chains, but then took hold of his brother's shoulders, forcing Gordon to look him in the eye.

"What is it?" For a moment, he didn't think that Gordon was going to respond, but he eventually sighed.

"I found your friend. Scott, he's not good…"

"I know. But I'm not leaving here without him." Scott made sure there was only determination in his tone. He knew Kevin would slow them down and even if they got him off the island, it could already be too late. But he meant what he said: he didn't leave without Kevin. Gordon nodded and Scott knew his brother understood. He grinned and tried to stand, only for his legs to buckle, his vision swimming as darkness threatened to overwhelm him again. But unlike the previous few times, there was someone to keep him grounded this time. Gordon followed him up, his hand resting under Scott's elbow. He didn't need to do much, his presence was enough for Scott to take a deep breath and clear his head slightly. He focused on escaping, knowing it would keep him going.

"Where's the Hood?" he asked quietly as he took a slightly shaky step towards the door. His leg throbbed, reminding him that he was injured and he was again grateful for Gordon's presence as his brother stopped him from falling.

"The creep? I don't know, I haven't seen him since he locked you back in here."

"I'm sure the rest of your team will stop him from getting away," Scott muttered, taking another step. But then he stopped, almost feeling the nerves running through Gordon. He turned and even in the dim light saw his brother flush.

He had to ask, even if his stomach rolled unpleasantly.

"Gordon?" His voice was controlled and steady. "Where are the rest of your men?"

Gordon shrugged, a sheepish look on his face. "However many miles north of here in the middle of the sea on a big boat?"

"Gordon!" Scott managed to keep his voice down, his words a hiss rather than a shout. "You mean to tell me that no one knows where you are?"

"Frankie does. And now you do…and whoever your friend is. So technically that is not true."

"You came out here without orders, didn't you?"

Gordon lifted his gaze, meeting Scott's eyes head on. There was a defiant and challenging expression in his look.

"So what if I did? I can easily…"

"Thank you."

"… chain you back… what?"

"I said thank you," Scott muttered with a small laugh, reaching out and ruffling his brother's hair. Gordon was staring at him with a shocked expression.

"Come on," Scott continued. He limped a few steps towards the door before looking back and waiting for Gordon to move. "Let's go home."

Gordon nodded and hurried forward, falling in step with Scott. Just as the older brother was about to take another step, he was stopped by Gordon's hand on his arm. Surprised, Scott looked over at the younger man, finding Gordon watching him with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Answer me this truthfully. Are you okay? I saw him drop you, Scott. You went out like a light. I've seen what he has done to that other guy. You aren't about to flip out on me are you?"

Knowing that Gordon was partly asking in concern and partly because he genuinely needed to know whether Scott's mind was still intact, Scott smiled gently.

"I'm okay, Gords. Could murder a drink and wouldn't say no to a burger either. But I'm okay."

Gordon let out a noise that sounded disbelieving, but it seemed to settle his nerves and the two brothers moved towards the door again.

"Do we have a plan at all?" Scott eventually asked as they both paused. Somehow, it came as no surprise when Gordon shook his head. His brother had always done things spontaneously. Still, he had got there without being detected. The same could not be said for anyone else who had attempted to approach the island.

"Right. I'll follow your lead then."

"What?"

Scott chuckled at the disbelieving look Gordon sent him. "You're in better shape than me and you must have seen more of the layout than me."

"You outrank me."

"So?"

"And you're my big brother."

"Meaning I'll never follow your lead again so make the most of it, Squirt."

Gordon gave him a salute and Scott felt there might have been have even been a shred of sincerity in the action even as he slipped out of the door. Scott waited until he heard his brother whistle and slipped out himself, keeping his movements low and steady so as not to draw any unwanted attention. He would follow Gordon's lead…unless the Hood appeared. Then he would do whatever it took to make sure the creep didn't get his hands on his little brother.

But the way seemed to be clear and Scott swiftly limped from building to building after Gordon, ignoring the throbbing pain in his leg when he realised his brother was taking him back to Kevin. He didn't have the chance to warn Gordon about the door before the younger man had darted in. It was only then that Scott saw the destroyed fuse box and rolled his eyes. He didn't have long to wait until Gordon reappeared, Kevin over his shoulder. The pilot seemed to be unconscious, but Gordon gave Scott an unapologetic look. Scott nodded his understanding; it was the only way they were going to get Kevin out.

It was time to get out of this place for once and for all. But Scott knew this was where everything could go wrong.


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you so much for the comments. I love that no one trusts they can get out that easily! Anyone would think you know me too well..._

* * *

Something wasn't right.

Scott wasn't sure what. But he knew better than to ignore his instincts – again. He had men to protect now. Kevin was still over Gordon's shoulder, unconscious. Scott knew his brother had knocked Kevin out and despite inwardly wincing at the state of his friend, he knew it had been the only way. Kevin wasn't strong enough to run and without knowing what the Hood had done to him, there was no way of knowing if he would give them away. But an injured comrade was the least of his worries. He had to protect his little brother, no matter what.

Gordon had made good use of his time on the island. He seemed to know where he was going as he led them from the compound, using the buildings as cover as they skirted around the edge. Scott guessed that they were heading for the trees he could see scattered over the hill to one side. But the fact no alarm was raised made Scott uncomfortable.

Everything else he had tried, the Hood had either set up or been waiting for him. Was he certain his chains and the electrified doors would have been enough to hold his prisoners? Scott knew it was a possibility – if the man didn't know Gordon was on the island, then he wouldn't be keeping constant watch. Still, it didn't feel right and Scott found he was even more on edge than the situation called for. He was rigid with tension. Gordon could sense it – he kept shooting his brother concerned looks over his shoulder.

Eventually, Gordon signalled a halt. They had their backs against one of the last buildings and Gordon put Kevin down.

"What is it?" he asked. His tone demanded answers. "Why are you so jumpy? We're out, aren't we?"

"Why is this so easy?" Scott looked around as he spoke.

"You want to complain about that? I say we make the most of it and run while we can."

Gordon clearly was not feeling the same as him. Scott didn't blame him – his brother hadn't actually interacted with the Hood.

"Can't you feel it? Something doesn't feel right. There is no way that he would let us go this easily…" His stomach wrapped itself up in knots and Scott suddenly realised what it was he was feeling. It was nerves. He could count on one hand the number of times that had happened in his life. But there was something about the situation that was getting to him. Glancing back towards Gordon, he saw there was a sympathetic expression on his brother's face.

"Does it matter if it is a trap or not? We can't very well just sit here and wait. I got down without being seen. If we can get back up there, we can rest and I guarantee you'll feel better."

"I feel fine," Scott protested, glancing around again. When Gordon didn't answer immediately, he turned back.

"Then why are you shaking?"

Scott made to protest, then realised Gordon had a point. He _was_ shaking. As soon as he realised, he groaned. His legs gave way and he sank to the ground. The wound on his leg was throbbing and burning. Shaking hands stretched towards the bandage he had roughly tied around his leg. He was sure he could feel the heat radiating from it. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten, slept or drunk. He had been electrocuted, knocked out and had his head messed with. Adrenaline had been masking it all up until now, the need to escape taking precedence over anything else. But now they had a potential way out and he wasn't in this alone, Scott was feeling it all.

He didn't notice he had zoned out until he blinked and Gordon was kneeling in front of him. He hadn't seen Gordon move.

"Easy, big brother," Gordon murmured. He put down his pack and offered Scott some water. But the relief of gulping some down was short-lived as he realised Gordon was reaching for his leg.

"Don't…" Scott gasped, trying to push Gordon away. Gordon easily dodged his grasping hands and unwrapped the wound. Both men winced at the inflamed skin.

"We need to get that cleaned."

"You don't say," Scott muttered through gritted teeth. Handing Gordon the water back, he snatched at the bandage and tied it back around his leg. "Let's just get to your camp, I'm _fine_."

Scott used the side of the building to aid him to his feet, hoping it would be enough to convince Gordon he was okay. There was nothing they could do here so it didn't really matter whether he was telling the truth or not. He just needed Gordon to believe it.

"What about your feeling?" Gordon asked, putting the water away and shouldering his bag again.

"I'd say you were right about us not really having a choice." Scott wanted to hit his brother for the ease with which Gordon sprang to his feet. But all negative thoughts vanished when Gordon's hand rested lightly under his elbow, helping to keep him standing.

"Ready to run away then?" Gordon asked. The corners of his mouth twitched when Scott gave him an incredulous look. _That_ was Gordon's great plan for getting out of here? Scott didn't have anything better in mind though and he nodded. Gordon ran his eyes over his brother for a moment, clearly assessing how long Scott would actually be able to run for.

As Gordon moved aside, Scott saw the movement a second too late. He didn't have time to shout a warning to his brother before Kevin's fist slammed into the back of Gordon's head.

Gordon swayed on the spot for a moment, looking at Scott with an expression of the utmost confusion before he dropped. Scott instantly moved to his brother's side, making sure he was between Gordon and Kevin. His fellow pilot didn't spare Gordon a second glance now that he was out of the way and instead moved towards Scott. Scott stayed low, shielding Gordon. Kevin looked at him with no recognition before slamming his foot down on the cut on Scott's leg.

It was only locking his jaw that stopped Scott from screaming. His hands clutched around his leg and he was breathing heavily through his nose as he stared up at his former friend.

"Why?" he gasped breathlessly, his mind racing over how they were going to get out of this.

"Because I told him to," a voice replied silkily from behind him. Scott twisted his upper body as much as he could in order to see the Hood appearing from behind one of the buildings, a smug look on his face. "Did you really think you would be able to get away from me that easily?"

The confusion must have shown on Scott's face as he glanced towards Kevin again. The Hood laughed.

"Your friend did manage to knock him out, I'll give him that much. That's why it has taken until now. But Kevin here has a job to do for me, Scott. I'm not about to let you walk out of here. Tie him up."

Directing the last part at Kevin, the Hood pulled a gun out from behind his back. He didn't look comfortable holding it, but Scott didn't care. He knew how much damage the man could inflict with just his mind if he needed to. The weapon added a note of finality to their confrontation. No more games; the Hood wasn't going to let them walk away from this.

While Scott had been distracted, Kevin had come up behind him. Scott twisted, attempting to throw him off but Kevin kicked him in the midriff, doubling Scott over and allowing him to pull the pilot's hands behind him. Despite shaking himself furiously to try and free himself, Scott couldn't do anything as he felt cuffs once again locking around his wrists. Kevin sat him back against the building and wrapped a length of rope around his ankles as well, leaving Scott well and truly stuck.

"You won't get away with this," Scott muttered. He didn't look at Kevin. He couldn't watch him standing threateningly over his little brother. This man had been a friend, someone Scott would have trusted with his life. Instead, he kept his attention on the Hood, knowing Kevin was only doing as he was told. The Hood had broken something in him and Scott saw now how far that damage went.

"I already have."

"You think? He's a member of WASP, an advance party from the major fleet preparing to move in. You now have the Air Force and WASP closing in on you. What makes you think that you will be staying here for much longer?"

"An advance party? Scott, Scott, Scott, you really should learn not to lie to me. No one knows he is here. He's no advance party; he's your little brother."

Scott felt his heart drop. Too late did he remember the cameras he had watched Kevin through. Why hadn't he thought about his prison being monitored in the same way? Everything they had said, the Hood had heard. Their interaction would have made it obvious they were more than friends. With no other transport – either boats or planes – being sighted near the island, the Hood must know Gordon was on his own. His gaze flickered back to Gordon's crumpled form, fear crossing his face.

"Don't worry." There was nothing reassuring in the Hood's voice. "You won't see me hurt him, I promise you that."

Scott was not convinced. There was something in the way the creep had worded it. There was a catch somewhere. Sure enough, the Hood handed the gun to Kevin.

"But you can die with the knowledge that it is all your fault," he continued. "Now I've got a WASP agent, I have no further use for you. One pilot is enough, two is dangerous. The pain you felt before? That's just a taster of what I'm going to do to your brother. I'll turn him soon enough, but first he must be punished for ruining my plan. And it will all be your fault."

The Hood stepped back. He watched Scott for a moment before looking at Kevin.

"Shoot him."

His voice was cold and Scott's breath caught as Kevin levelled the gun at him. He wasn't afraid of dying; he was afraid of leaving Gordon. He couldn't let his brother suffer at the Hood's hands. He swallowed hard, ignored the Hood and locked all of his attention on Kevin.

"Kev…please…" His voice was soft and quiet but Scott was not begging for his life. He didn't blink, didn't look away from Kevin. He was pleading for his friend to come back before it was too late.

"Your wife needs you, buddy. Your _child_ needs its Dad. Please, don't leave the baby with only one parent because that sucks, truly it does. Put the gun down and I can take you home to them…"

"Shoot him." The Hood's voice was icy, but Scott didn't flinch.

"Please, man? This is my little brother. You don't want to do this."

"Do it, soldier." Kevin flinched. Scott wondered if that was what the Hood had been calling him since preparing him for the mission he had in mind. It gave Scott hope though. He hadn't been missing for too long. Maybe the Hood's control wasn't as deep as Scott had first thought? If he was using something impersonal rather than Kevin's name, it meant there was a chance. There was a chance he could be saved!

"Kevin, think of your wife," Scott whispered before falling silent. If that didn't work, he knew there was nothing else he could do. He was tied, he had no movement and he had to think of Gordon. If he acted up too much, he wasn't sure whether the Hood might shoot his brother as a way of making him pay. He couldn't take the chance and gazed at the shell of a man who had once been a friend.

"This is your last chance, soldier. You know what I'll do if you fail me."

Kevin's eyes seemed to fill with tears but Scott didn't look away.

"I'm sorry, Scott," he muttered quietly. Scott looked to Gordon instead. He heard the safety being flicked off and knew Kevin was aiming at him. He braced, but his mind was racing. That was the first time he had heard Kevin say anything that wasn't babbling or screaming. He had known who Scott was. Up until now, he hadn't seemed aware.

Scott risked glancing up as the gun went off.

And then he carried on looking. No pain blossomed from anywhere and Scott knew he was still breathing. He became aware that Kevin was scrabbling at his feet, pulling the ropes loose.

"Wha-?" Glancing around, it only took a second for Scott to realise the Hood was nowhere to be seen.

"I only grazed him. He's disappeared. He'll be around somewhere, I'm sure of it. But we don't have any time; he'll shoot us both the next time he sees us."

"What about you?" Scott asked bluntly. Kevin fished out the key to the handcuffs and released Scott properly, helping him stand. As soon as he had movement back, however, Scott made his way to Gordon, crouching by his brother and feeling the back of his head. There was a lump there.

"I don't know. When you spoke of Cathy, it's like it cut through the fog in my mind. I've got to get back to her, Scott…"

"I know." Scott let out a sigh, staring at Gordon. His brother seemed to be alright apart from the obvious, but with his leg and Kevin looking like he was ready to drop at any moment, he knew they weren't going to be able to carry him. "Help me get him to the trees?"

Keeping an eye out, Scott grabbed Gordon under the arms and started hauling him to what he hoped was safety. He only stopped when trees partly obscured his vision of the compound. If he couldn't see it clearly, then maybe the Hood couldn't see them?

As he lowered Gordon to the floor, Scott felt his head swim. He awkwardly pulled Gordon's bag from under him and drank some more water. There was only a small amount left but he knew there had to be a water source on the island somewhere. He could see food in there as well, but first things first. He had to wake Gordon. He glanced at the water bottle, grinned and upended it over his brother. Gordon instantly spluttered, his eyes flickering open as he glared up at Scott.

"What was that for?"

"Morning, sunshine." Scott lowered himself back to the ground, wincing as he stretched his leg out in front of him. Gordon gingerly pushed himself upright, one hand going to the back of his head. Scott knew exactly when Gordon realised Kevin was there - his brother instantly tensed.

"It's okay, Gords. He's with us." Scott hoped his voice sounded more reassuring to his brother than it did to him. Considering Gordon seemed to relax, Scott assumed it had done.

"Where's the creep?" Gordon muttered, leaning back on a tree and wincing.

"Good question," Scott responded just as quietly and Gordon winced again. It wasn't anything to do with the pain. It was the knowledge the man responsible was still free and they had no idea where he was. Scott attempted to aim for positive thinking, though. While they didn't know where the Hood was, it meant the man was not with them and that was good enough for him.

"How did you get here?"

"Small boat down on a beach. To the east I think." Gordon waved a hand in the general direction he had come from and Scott nodded.

"The weapon is still to the west."

"You're not…"

"Thinking of destroying it still?" Scott finished Gordon's sentence for him before nodding. "Damn right I am. Who knows how many more people he'll pull down if we don't destroy it first."

To Scott's surprise, Gordon grinned. It was only by backtracking through his words that Scott realised he had said `we`.

"So how do we destroy it?"

Gordon's words stumped Scott. He hadn't thought that far through. Kevin, however, handed them the Hood's gun.

"This might help?"

Scott thought back to the diagrams he had studied. There was a weak spot, a small opening in the casing of the weapon. A well placed bullet would do the trick and Scott took the gun with a smile.

"Are you ready to move out?" He was addressing his words to Gordon, knowing every second they stayed here meant the Hood would be closer to finding them. But Kevin answered.

"I can't come up with you. I don't know if his control has gone for good or not, but I'm a liability. I'll stay here and stop him from coming after you."

"He'll kill you…"

"Scott, if you don't stop him, he's as good as killed me anyway. Just make sure you destroy that thing so then we can go home?"

Scott nodded and held out his hand. Kevin clasped it for a moment, both men nodding at each other. Letting go, Scott limped forward as Gordon carefully stood up. The two brothers looked at each other and Scott laughed.

"Grandma is going to have our heads for this," he muttered and Gordon's answering grin was all he needed to press forward. It would be slow going, but Scott had a feeling they were closer to the weapon than he had been when he had crashed.

"Is he going to be alright staying there?" Gordon muttered when they were out of ear-shot, but Scott looked over his shoulder.

"I don't know. But it's better than having him turn on us again. He has a point – if we don't stop this machine, no one can approach the island. While we are on our own, we can't bring him to justice. He must know we are here for the weapon – he'll know where we are going."

"You know," Gordon murmured thoughtfully, nudging his brother with his shoulder. "You've definitely slipped up on the comforting speeches as we've got older."

Scott nudged him back, being careful that neither of them aggravated the other's injuries. He wasn't happy about leaving Kevin there but he meant what he said. At least this way, he knew his friend couldn't turn on his brother. He couldn't be forced to watch Gordon be hurt again. A comfortable silence fell between the two men and Scott wondered about the last time that had happened. He had barely seen Gordon over the last few years between college and the Air Force, Gordon having school, then being away himself whenever Scott went home. When he voiced this out loud, Gordon smiled and the rest of their climb saw the two brothers catching up on each other's lives. It didn't matter that they were in hostile territory with some maniac wanting them dead or broken. It was nice to be able to chat.

It also helped Scott forget about his leg. He was limping, but pretending to be disapproving while trying not to laugh as Gordon recounted some of the things he had been up to stopped the wound from throbbing as much. Considering the small amount of colour trickling into Gordon's face again as they walked, Scott knew it was helping his brother as well. He wasn't sure going for a hike to destroy a weapon was what someone should be doing after being knocked out. But he wouldn't leave Gordon behind.

He wasn't sure how far they walked. But Scott realised they had been climbing up the hill. The crest was looming above. He stopped, Gordon following suit as they both stared up the incline. The sun was shining, gleaming off something metal at the top.

They had found the weapon that had caused all this trouble.

"Race ya!" Gordon moved off again, almost running. He dropped back after just a few steps, knowing Scott wouldn't be able to match him. It had been enough to break the tension threatening to settle over the pair of them, though. Scott grinned and set off after his brother, lifting the gun from his belt and checking the weight of it.

Both were slightly breathless when they reached the top, the slope being steeper than they had been expecting in their weakened state. But despite the warmth of the sun and their exertion, Scott shivered. It was one thing seeing the weapon in diagrams, but it was another thing entirely to be able to reach out and touch it. This thing had already cost too many lives and he was not about to let it take any more.

"There isn't a big red button is there?" Gordon murmured, and Scott grinned. The casing surrounding the actual weapon looked to be impenetrable, but the pilot had spent hours poring over diagrams. He knew what he was looking for and twenty minutes after trying to explain it to his brother, he finally managed to find it. Just a small opening in the case, small enough to have been overlooked if they didn't know what they were looking for. It took both of them to rotate the machine until Scott had a clear shot. He knew that should he miss, it would probably activate the weapon and they would be blasted off the island once and for all.

Despite knowing it wouldn't make any difference, Scott still pushed Gordon behind him as he lined up to take the shot. At least he could make an attempt at protecting his brother. He knew he had done well in training when it came to weapons, but the lack of food was making itself known. As Gordon had pointed out earlier, he was shaking. He tried to lift his arm, tried to make it look like everything was fine. But Scott wasn't sure he could take the shot. Too much was at stake, his _brother_ was at stake. Scott knew he couldn't miss, but even steadying his arm didn't seem to make a lot of difference as his hand trembled. He was only a few paces away but it could have been a mile for all the good it was doing him.

"Here." Gordon moved before the words had left his mouth, his hand closing around Scott's. Not anticipating the action, Scott offered no resistance as Gordon drew the gun from his hand, aimed it at the machine and fired. Scott yelped, knowing his brother had barely even looked at what he was doing. But even before the sound left his lips, there came the noise of something sparking. Both brothers looked at each other, then set off at a run down the hill. Gordon quickly outstripped him – running whereas Scott was limping. But when they reached the bottom, it was not bullets that followed them down. Instead, there was a soft whirring noise before the weapon suddenly exploded.

"You did it!" Scott let out a disbelieving laugh, suddenly appreciating how true it was when Gordon said he had been more than ready to skip a year of training. The younger man had barely aimed, yet his shot had been perfect. Scott wasn't sure whether he would have done it even if he had been steady handed.

"Only one problem…" Gordon said mildly, handing the gun back to his brother as he spoke. Scott raised an eyebrow questioningly, not seeing how destroying the weapon could have any downsides.

Gordon shrugged. "The Hood now knows exactly where we are."

"Oh. Run?"

"Run."

As fast as they could, both Tracys set off back the way they had come. Adrenaline was once again flooding through Scott and it allowed him to move without any issues. Judging by the way that Gordon kept pulling ahead, his brother was also feeling well enough to make a run for it. But when they reached the clearing where they had left Kevin, both skidded to a stop.

"Where is he?"

The clearing was empty. Scott immediately scanned the ground, vaguely aware of Gordon doing the same thing. There was no blood and no signs someone had been dragged off and that gave him hope. But as he made to voice his findings to Gordon, the younger man called his attention. Scott moved over to him, only to find a message of apology scratched into the dirt.

Kevin had panicked. He thought he had heard footsteps approaching and run rather than letting the Hood take him hostage again. Scott sighed. He understood. If the Hood had Kevin, he would be dead by now. He thought he would have run as well if their positions had been reversed. Scott had Gordon to keep him grounded. Kevin had no one.

"That backstabbing…"

"Gordon?"

"What?"

"The boat!"

Gordon swore, clearly realising what Scott meant. They had told Kevin the location of the boat. Suddenly, the run from the hill seemed like a walk in comparison to the speed both brothers took off at.

Scott had no idea where he was going, but he trusted Gordon. Scott was slowing by the time they reached the plane wreckage. His leg couldn't take much more of this and he was stumbling more than he was running. His pace was barely more than a walk and Gordon was hanging back to stay with him. Unable to stop himself, he stopped, staring open-mouth at the utter carnage. He was panting desperately, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to get his breath back. He didn't want to think about how lucky he had been to survive that.

Gordon noticed he had stopped, doubled back and stood at his shoulder.

"Pretty spectacular, huh?" he muttered, his voice lacking any sort of humour. Scott nodded, realising Gordon had stumbled across this with no idea whether his big brother was alive or not, only the wreckage indicating that Scott had landed on the island and not in the sea.

Something caught Scott's eye and he bent down with a disbelieving smile. The rock that Virgil had given him, the one that had been smuggled to him at the base, was resting unharmed amongst the wreckage. He had thought he had lost it or the Hood had taken it. Scott pocketed it and felt more determined than ever.

"Let's go." There was nothing salvageable here, there was no point staying. Bidding his plane a silent goodbye, Scott let Gordon draw him away as they continued to the beach. He couldn't believe it when they stumbled out from the jungle, marvelling at the sight he had not got the chance to view from the skies. The island would have been truly beautiful if it wasn't for the creep living on it.

But Gordon wasn't hanging about. He jumped over one rock and disappeared behind another before swearing long and loudly.

"The boat is gone!"

Scott felt his heart sink. He stared out to sea and within only a few moments, managed to locate a small boat. It was reasonably far out by now, Kevin must have left as soon as they had and sprinted the whole way. Scott was surprised he had made it but fear would have given him an adrenaline burst. Both he and Gordon ran to the water's edge, but there was no way they could swim out that far, not considering how they had both been hurt.

Kevin was gone with their only mode of transport, and they were stuck on an island with someone who wanted them dead. Scott flopped down onto the sand, too tired to stay standing as the adrenaline faded away.

Now what were they supposed to do?


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you so much once again. And to those I can't respond directly - I really appreciate your comments, thank you._

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"How could he? That stupid, hypocritical…"

"Gords, stop," Scott muttered quietly. He sank down onto the sand, his leg no longer supporting his weight. He only just avoided the water's edge, but didn't move further than that. What was the point? It wasn't as if they had anywhere to go now.

Gordon whirled around to face him, his eyes bright and shining with anger. They stood out in sharp contrast to the paleness of his skin, forcibly reminding Scott his brother had also been hurt.

"How can you say that? He's taken the boat and gone! We're going to die here because of him…"

"It's not his fault." Scott's voice was quiet but his tone firm. Gordon swallowed back his retort, moving towards Scott and sitting down beside him. Scott knew he wasn't the only one comforted by Gordon's shoulder brushing against his. They sat in silence for a moment, then Gordon spoke again.

"You know what he did to Kevin to make him break, don't you?" Gordon had dropped his own voice now. His anger had vanished and Scott knew he was too exhausted to bring it back. Scott's eyes shut and an echo of pain spread through his body as he thought back to the agony the man had put him through. He had been screaming and the Hood hadn't touched him. He wasn't surprised Kevin had broken – he had been missing for almost a week before Scott had been dispatched after him.

He nodded and Gordon swore.

"He…" Gordon broke off, swallowing hard. "He did it to you too, didn't he?"

Scott nodded again. There was no point in lying to Gordon. His brother had more than proved his worth and Scott knew he didn't need to protect him from the truth the way he had done when Gordon was young. He glanced up to see Gordon go even paler than before.

"I'm fine," Scott murmured, knowing what Gordon was about to ask. Gordon still opened his mouth and Scott caught his gaze and held it.

"I said I'm fine," he repeated firmly and Gordon sagged, nodding. It wasn't as either of them could do anything about it now anyway. Gordon climbed back to his feet, pacing the stretch of sand in front of Scott. Scott watched him for a few moments, knowing he needed to vent. Sitting down was helping and Scott felt some strength return to him. Digging his hands into the sand, he started to push himself upright. He would have fallen if Gordon hadn't seen what he was doing and grabbed him by the wrist, hauling him up.

"Please tell me you have some sort of plan or I'm letting you fall on your ass again."

Scott grinned at Gordon's words. They both knew he wouldn't let go.

"We need to find cover. We're too exposed here, anyone could see us from a mile off."

"That would be good, right? We do have people looking for us."

Scott shook his head. "Kevin's escape will be enough. They'll know whoever was holding him would be aware of his escape. When nothing attempts to fire on him, they'll risk it. They want the person behind this as much as they want the weapon destroyed. They'll come for us. But if we stay here…"

"That creep will come after us and shoot us before they get in range?" Gordon's tone was light-hearted but his eyes were serious.

"Something like that. The rocks over there… Will they give us enough shelter?" Gordon had seen more of the beach than he had and Scott knew he would have scouted it to some degree when he had first landed. He had needed a starting point for finding Scott. The forest lined the entire beach and Scott marvelled that Gordon had found the correct path. He didn't want to leave in case they missed a rescue. But they couldn't stay out in the open either.

"Better than anything else." Gordon's expression was calculating and Scott had never seen him look so serious. This wasn't the immature youth he had left at home when he had signed up. WASP had made Gordon grow up. Scott hoped it wasn't too quickly considering his brother's missed year of training.

"You head to them. I'll cover our footprints." Gordon gave Scott a small push as he spoke. Scott nodded. He couldn't keep standing like this. He limped towards the rocks. A glance back showed Gordon had grabbed a branch and was beginning to brush at the sand. Scott hobbled on as fast as he could.

Once he was behind the rocks – and out of Gordon's eye-line – Scott let a pained gasp escape him. He leant shakily back against the rocks, using them to support him as his hand rested on his leg. Even through the rough dressing they had tied around the wound, he could feel the heat radiating from it. Gordon had been right – they needed to clean it properly. But Scott knew he couldn't do that until they were off the island. He should have cleaned it while he was at the water's edge, but the idea of limping back there right now was too much for him. He had to hope he had enough strength to carry on until they were rescued. For Gordon's sake, he had to. Gritting his teeth, Scott quickly redressed the wound and pushed himself upright. Twisting around, he peered over the rocks to see where Gordon was.

Gordon had moved up the beach, removing their footprints. But the smooth sand he was leaving in his wake was just as much of a give-away as to where they were. Gordon sensed his gaze, for he looked around and bit his lip. Scott knew what he was thinking. They were an easy target for the Hood. Together on the beach, the Hood could potentially take them both out in one shot. They wouldn't have a chance. As soon as he knew what his brother was thinking, Scott realised what Gordon was about to do.

"No!" Scott lurched forward, almost falling again as Gordon started walking in the opposite direction. They both knew a rescue was on its way. Split up, at least one of them had a chance of escaping the island. By leaving Scott on the beach, Gordon was trying to ensure that it was the older brother who made it off. But Scott had no intention of letting Gordon put himself in harm's way and made it to his feet properly. He stumbled out from behind the rocks.

"Scott, no!" Gordon shouted. "You know this gives us a chance."

"Get back here, Gordon!"

If Gordon heard the authority in Scott's voice, he deliberately ignored it as he quickened his pace. Scott swore, knowing there was no way that he was going to be able to catch him up. Gordon might have been pale from the blow to his head, but Scott felt like his leg was on fire. He didn't stand a chance at matching his brother's speed. He knew ordering Gordon back wouldn't work either; Gordon had always had selective hearing when it came to doing what Scott told him.

"Gordon!"

Gordon sped up and disappeared into the treeline. Scott gritted his teeth and carried on after him. He could hardly concentrate on keeping himself safe when he couldn't see Gordon. They might be a target together, but Scott knew it was only by working as a team that they had any chance of stopping the Hood.

Scott hadn't expected an answer to his call, knowing Gordon was fully capable of being silent when he wanted to avoid detection. He stopped once he was off the beach, staring into the forest as he tried to work out what direction Gordon had gone in.

When a strangled yell echoed out from the forest, Scott felt his heart stop for a split second before it compensated and worked twice as hard. A rush of pure adrenaline (and fear) instantly masked the pain in his leg and Scott was running in the direction of the noise before he realised he had moved.

"Gordon!" He didn't bother keeping his voice down. If Gordon had run into trouble, Scott didn't care who heard him as long he got Gordon back to safety. He hoped his brother would answer him again, but the silence sent chills down Scott's spine. He moved as fast as he could, only stopping when the foliage blocked out the sun entirely and he had to let his eyes adjust. Inwardly, he was cursing. It would have been easy for Gordon to be caught unaware as he reacted to the change in light.

"Gords?"

A soft _click_ was the only answer. Scott froze, not daring to take another step. He knew that sound. It was the same as when Kevin had pulled a gun on him only hours earlier. Someone was armed. Gordon had still been holding the gun from earlier, but Scott was sure Gordon would have fired by now if the Hood was in sight. The fact no shots had been fired meant the Hood was still a threat. But it also meant Gordon was still alive if he wasn't the one holding the gun.

Scott swallowed hard. Moving as quietly as he could, he took a few steps further into the trees. He didn't have to go far. By the time he rounded a dense clump of them, he had found Gordon. His heart leapt into his throat and he started forward. The Hood heard him coming though and hauled Gordon around. Scott stopped, eyes locked on the gun trained on his brother.

"Let him go!"

Even in the dim light he could see there was blood running down the man's arm and knew Kevin had been telling the truth when he said his shot had grazed the maniac. But that didn't stop his grip on the gun being true as he kept it jammed under Gordon's chin, forcing the aquanaut to tilt his head back in order to be able to swallow. The Hood's other arm was looped around the base of Gordon's neck and considering Scott could see both of Gordon's hands pushing, it was an iron grip. Gordon wouldn't be able to get out of it on his own.

"Back up to the beach!" the Hood snarled, any mocking note from earlier having vanished. There was cold fury present this time and Scott knew he was going to kill them both. He didn't seem surprised to see Scott there and Scott assumed the man must have heard him coming.

"Run, Scott…" Gordon gasped. The Hood kicked out and Gordon's knees buckled. He had to grab the man's arm to stop the grip around his throat being the only thing holding him up. Gordon choked for a moment before he got his feet back under him. He looked up and Scott could see the fear in his brother's eyes. Gordon knew what he did; the Hood wanted them dead this time. At least, he wanted Scott dead. Whether he still had plans for Gordon or whether they had been too much trouble for him to proceed, Scott didn't know. But he knew he didn't have time to find out.

The time for games was over.

"Back up."

Scott took a deep breath, knowing he didn't have a choice. The Hood could kill Gordon in a number of different ways if Scott even thought about walking in the wrong direction. He raised his hands until they were level with his head, trying to make everything about his movements calm and unthreatening. He tentatively took a step back, then a second. As he continued to back away, the Hood followed him out of the forest, his eyes locked on Scott even as his grip on Gordon remained steady. The younger man was stumbling and Scott was sure he was paler than before. Scott was sure Gordon's previous yell had been the Hood causing him to drop. Gordon was too alert for the man to have snuck up behind him. The idea of the man using his power on Gordon made him snarl but he could do nothing but edge backwards.

"Keep walking until you reach the water," the Hood ordered.

Scott tried to appear calm. But he wasn't; his heart was racing and he felt like it was about to jump out of his throat. He knew he would be killed when he reached the water's edge. Yet with Gordon being held so securely, there was nothing he could do but continue to back up.

"Scott…" There was a plea in Gordon's voice as the three of them left the forest behind and moved steadily across the beach. Scott had a feeling Gordon too knew what was going to happen when Scott reached the water. Scott tried to smile reassuringly at his brother. His leg was throbbing again and it was taking all of his focus not to let it collapse underneath him.

"It's going to be okay…"

"No more talking!" the Hood snapped. He pressed the gun closer into Gordon's throat and both Tracys fell silent. Gordon didn't have a choice - breathing was hard enough with the barrel of a gun pressing into his windpipe - and Scott was quiet because of Gordon. His mind was racing, desperately trying to think of something to get them out of this. But the only thing he could use as any sort of weapon was the driftwood that the sea had washed up. He might have been able to do some damage if he had a piece in his hand, but he knew that he wouldn't have time to bend down and pick one up. Not without Gordon taking the consequences.

Far too soon, he felt the water lapping around his ankles. He froze for a second before looking the Hood directly in the eye, trying to lift his chin and hide his fear.

"Keep going," the man ordered, bringing Gordon to a stop at the same time. Scott swallowed. The Hood was going to shoot him and then let the ocean take his body. The man clearly didn't want to get his hands dirty with dealing with a body himself. Scott knew he had to do something but all he could do was carry on wading out until the water was over his knees. He hissed in pain as the salt hit the wound. It was finally getting the clean it needed, right when it was too late.

The water was up to his thighs, lapping higher. Scott looked at the Hood. But it was Gordon who drew his attention. A look of hope and desperation shot across his face and at the same time, the Hood snarled in fury. Scott froze. He wanted to turn, but couldn't risk it – the Hood could shoot him in the back. But the look on their faces was enough for him to hope and pray there was someone behind him. If there wasn't though… Scott had to hope there was. For if not, he knew he was dead. Gordon gasped as his legs were kicked out from under him and he dropped to his knees. The Hood bent over, keeping his arm looped around Gordon's neck, but aiming the gun at Scott.

"This is the end for you," he snarled and Scott could only stand there and stare with his heart racing.

"Drop!" Gordon suddenly yelled, breaking off and choking as the Hood restricted his grip yet again.

Gordon wouldn't have shouted if he didn't have a good reason. Scott threw himself down, shutting his mouth just in time to avoid swallowing the water. The waves lapped over his head and Scott forced himself to stay under as he heard rapid gunfire above his head. But he kicked for the shore.

Gordon was right in the middle of it all.

Panic struck at Scott with more intensity than he had ever known. The guns had clearly been poised to fire – aiming for the Hood even when Scott had been in the way. They didn't care who was in the way as long as they took him down -it wasn't as if either he or Gordon were civilians. He lurched up out of the water, coughing and spluttering as he did so. The Hood saw him, swinging the gun to aim straight at him. But Scott's leg finally gave way and he was sent pitching to the ground just in time. The bullet – instead of striking true – whizzed harmlessly over Scott's head. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Scott managed to splash his way to the shore, although how he managed to avoid being shot, he had no idea. All he could think about was getting to Gordon.

Scott thought his heart was going to stop when he realised Gordon was lying on the floor in front of the Hood as the main fired back at whoever was out there. There came another flurry of bullets and Scott saw Gordon try and move. His brother was alive; he was staying low. The Hood pressed his foot onto Gordon's back, holding him down and Scott saw red. Without any thought for his own safety, he lunged forward. Someone must have finally registered his movement, for the firing stopped as he closed the distance between him and the maniac.

The Hood turned, eyes glowing. Scott didn't know whether he had run out of ammunition or just wanted to make sure that he finished off the pilot himself.

But he did know the pain that blossomed through his body. For a second, he tried to keep walking until he found himself falling forward. It felt as if every nerve in his body was screaming at him and the only thought that was registering in his mind was that he couldn't scream. Not this time, not with Gordon here.

But as suddenly as the pain had started, it stopped again. Coughing and gasping for breath, Scott sat up as Gordon mirrored his actions and also sat. The Hood seemed thrown off balance and Scott knew Gordon must have been able to get free from under his foot, possibly even striking out at the man. As Scott watched, the Hood lashed out, kicking Gordon squarely in the ribs and throwing the younger man back with a gasp. But it was enough time for Scott to leap to his feet. The Hood turned glowing eyes onto Scott, but there was only a flicker of pain. Scott looked up at the Hood to see the yellow flickering and his eyes returning to their normal colour. Clearly the Hood had used too much of his power and didn't have the strength to attack with it again.

Scott's fist connected before the man realised Scott was on the move and the force of the punch was enough to knock the Hood backwards off his feet. Scott quickly bent down and plucked the gun from the man's now unresisting hand, holding out his own arm towards Gordon to repay the earlier favour and help his brother to his feet.

He felt Gordon wince as he was pulled upwards. Scott glanced over his shoulder to see his brother had one arm wrapped around his midriff as he tried to support his ribs. Scott kept the gun pointing steadily at the Hood, trying to resist the urge to shoot him. The punch had dazed him – he was in no state to use his powers on anyone now. Scott took another look behind him, trusting that Gordon would be quick to announce whether the Hood was about to move or not. Four small but fully laden boats were racing for the shore now the shooting had stopped and Scott felt the relief seep into him when he realised they were armed and ready for action.

It wasn't until they had landed and were splashing towards them, guns drawn, that Scott fully appreciated that they were safe.

Gordon was hurt; Scott knew he had to get to him. But his leg didn't take it. As Gordon stepped forward, Scott stumbled back. Somehow, both brothers ended up sitting on the sand again. The Hood moved slightly as he began to recover from the punch, but WASP had arrived on the scene by that point. Two men Scott vaguely recalled seeing on the ship but couldn't name sprang forward, grabbing the Hood by the arms and cuffing him. Scott made to open his mouth to warn them about the man's powers, but his words were stolen from him as they yanked a black cloth bag over the Hood's head and began dragging him back towards the forest. He now knew it wasn't coincidence they had arrived when they had. Kevin had made good time and had given the men some sort of briefing on what the Hood could do.

"You okay?" Scott murmured softly to Gordon, realising his brother was leaning against him, still clutching his ribs. Gordon grunted in response and Scott knew that was as good as he was going to get. The military part of his mind was telling him to get up, to try and offer assistance and brief the leader of this clean-up operation about what to expect. He had to report that his mission had been successful and that the weapon had been destroyed. But the big brother side of his mind won out and he instead stayed sitting where he was, keeping Gordon propped up. Eventually, three men walked towards them and Scott recognised one as being the most senior man present.

"Captain," the man said, nodding at Scott as he stood over them. Scott noticed the way his eyes narrowed as he looked at Gordon. He followed his gaze and then glared at this commander, warning him not to even attempt to say anything by his stare alone. Gordon was pale and his fist was clenched in a way that suggested he was in a lot of pain. Scott knew there was very little he could do to help Gordon escape the trouble he was in. He just hoped he could play up how if it hadn't been for Gordon, both he and Kevin would have been turned and the weapon still operational. It had to count for something. Scott was prepared to have that argument right here and now – anything to draw the attention away from Gordon until he had at least healed.

"Situation is secure, Sir," Scott muttered. He hoped it would be enough to tell the man that Scott's mission had ultimately been completed. It was safe to be on the island, as long as the Hood remained contained. Scott turned to look for the maniac, only to find that twisting caused another wave of pain to shoot through him and he gritted his teeth.

"Do what you need to. I need them travelling in half an hour," the commander ordered, gesturing to the men either side of him before backing away. Scott took one look at the strips of colour around their arms and knew that they were medics. That was enough for him to sag completely, knowing someone was there to make sure that Gordon was alright. The two men moved in, one to each brother, but Scott let his mind drift. He was barely aware he had reached out to clasp Gordon's arm as a needle sunk into his upper arm and flooded his veins with pain relief. He didn't notice when his leg was unwrapped, the drugs masking the pain as it was finally cleaned and he was given a shot of antibiotics. But he did notice the other man teasing Gordon's shirt up and forcing his brother to sit still while he wrapped up his ribs and examined the lump on the back of Gordon's head.

But it was only when they were helped into the boat and Gordon instantly stretched out and closed his eyes that Scott truly knew that it was over. As the engine started and they were pointed towards the open sea, Scott allowed the rocking of the boat to soothe him.

Both brothers were asleep by the time they reached the main ship.


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you so much for the lovely reviews again, I really appreciate them all. Only a couple of chapters left now._

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Peeling his eyes open felt like the hardest thing Scott had ever done. Leaving the ship seemed a lifetime ago and he hadn't slept the whole time he had been gone. Unconsciousness didn't count. His body had given up once the immediate danger had passed; he had been running on adrenaline for too long and as soon as he had sat in the boat, his body had relaxed. But alertness had gently been trickling back into his body for some time now and Scott knew it was time to wake up. He was lying on a bed, the comfort of the sheets soothing him.

There was a presence next to him; he could feel it. It was enough for his eyes to eventually flicker open. Gordon was sprawled across a chair, watching him. He was topless, allowing Scott to see the supportive bandage wrapped around his ribs. He was covered in scrapes and bruises, the more serious of which had been dressed. But there was colour back in Gordon's cheeks and his eyes had regained a sparkle. Scott knew Gordon leaving the boat later than him and not being starved or denied water for the majority of the time would naturally put him in better condition than his brother. Apart from the meagre mouthfuls of water Gordon had given him, Scott hadn't had anything.

He tried to sit up, only for a line to snag him. Scowling, the pilot followed it to find he was hooked up to an IV line. His frown deepened and he pulled it free, causing Gordon to chuckle. Scott ran his thumb over the bubble of blood that burst to the surface when he pulled the needle out.

"I told them you wouldn't like that. But you were seriously dehydrated and refusing to wake up, so they had to do something."

Although the words were said in Gordon's usual light-hearted manner, Scott knew him well enough to see past that. Gordon was worried and it made Scott wonder how long he had been out.

Gordon only shrugged when Scott voiced his thoughts out loud. "Only a couple of hours. But you slept through being moved from the boat. I've never seen you sleep through anything before. We only had to think about waking up and you would spring out of bed. Yet I've been up for hours and still sleeping beauty slept on."

"I'm okay, you know," Scott muttered, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He ignored the slight mocking tone to Gordon's voice. His brother watched him, one eyebrow raised in amusement as Scott attempted to stand up. Instantly, dizziness overwhelmed him and he sank back down again as his leg throbbed. Clutching at it, he saw it had been dressed properly.

"Of course you are," Gordon deadpanned. "Apart from dehydration, being basically starved... And they had to push a load of antibiotics into your line because you went and got your leg infected and had the first signs of some sort of fever. But you say you're fine, so of course you are."

"Gordon? Shut up," Scott muttered. He took it slowly this time and managed to get himself into an upright position without collapsing. He leant over and ruffled Gordon's hair, glad to feel that the egg-sized lump that had been on the back of his head had dramatically reduced. He stumbled towards the door, only to be stopped by Gordon's chuckle.

"You really are out of it. Look at the table if you are going where I think you are going."

Scott turned, and was unable to stop the enthusiastic grin spreading over his face as he changed direction and headed for the table. He was pulling food towards him almost before he sat down.

"What would Grandma say?" Gordon teased, but it didn't escape Scott's notice there was a rather large gap in the food already. Gordon had clearly been helping himself while Scott slept. "I did tell them you would be starving. Figured you would want some energy before facing the seniors."

Scott paused mid-mouthful, groaning when he thought about the debriefing that was still to come. He didn't particularly want to relive what he had gone through, but if they had the Hood in custody, they needed to know what he was capable of.

Then another thought infiltrated his mind and his blood ran cold as he turned to Gordon. "What about you?" he asked softly.

Gordon tried to look innocent. "What about me?"

"You know."

Gordon didn't need any more prompting than that and he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"I have to work on the training grounds for two weeks after a week of suspension, then I can return to duty."

"That's it?"

Gordon grinned at Scott's disbelief.

"I didn't disobey orders - no one told me not to go after you." Gordon had an impish grin on his face and Scott instantly felt suspicious. "Technically I didn't disobey anyone so they can't do anything to me."

Scott frowned. That didn't seem right. But when he caught Gordon's eye, his brother flushed and looked away. Scott cleared his throat meaningfully, wanting the full story. Gordon shifted for a moment before sighing and meeting Scott's gaze again.

"I don't know," he said honestly. He ran his fingers through his hair and moved to a more comfortable position. "They wanted to kick me out, I could see it on their faces. But from what I can make out, someone on your side of things has stepped in. Told them to let it go. Made a whole big deal about repercussions and word getting out how WASP lost the designs in the first place if they didn't."

Scott grinned. He knew saving Commander Evan's life would work in his favour one day. He didn't need to ask to know the man was clearly pulling some strings to make sure Scott's brother didn't get punished for helping out. He was returning the favour by saving Gordon's career. Scott hated that Gordon being the one to destroy the weapon hadn't been enough, but was grateful to the commander. That didn't mean he was going to let Gordon believe he had got away with it.

"You shouldn't have come after me. You could have thrown away your whole career, everything you have ever dreamt of..."

"Or thrown you away? C'mon, Scott, what would you have done? They can't even demote me – I don't hold any rank to lose."

Scott offered half a shrug in response. They both knew he would have done absolutely everything he could - career be damned - if it meant saving his brother. Could he honestly pretend he was angry when Gordon's actions had saved his life?

Not knowing what to say, Scott continued eating. Judging by the way Gordon's chair shuffled closer, Scott knew his brother was aware of what he was thinking. He had never experienced this with Gordon. He and Virgil could often tell what the other was thinking and - considering the expressions that split over their faces simultaneously - so could Gordon and Alan. But this was the first time Scott hadn't had to explain himself to Gordon. The feeling of peace it created soothed him far more than any medication they could try to force on him.

When Scott finally had to admit defeat with the food (feeling decidedly better for it), Gordon sighed and stood up, one arm wrapped around his midriff.

Scott glanced at him. "Where are you going?"

"Escorting you to the bridge. I said I would as soon as you woke up."

"I haven't just woken up though."

"Don't tell them that. I didn't plan on saving your ass just to hand it to those guys without some food first."

Scott grinned, believing his brother. The military were sticklers for again, Gordon had saved him – this time by giving him the chance to eat before facing the commanders. He stood up, grinning in satisfaction when he managed it without the wave of dizziness.

"Only now I can't pass out to get myself out of it."

"Scotty, if you want to go ahead and faint, be my guest. Just let me get my phone so I can send it to Virg as you do."

Scott nudged his brother as Gordon opened the door for him, but allowed the younger man to usher him out into the corridor. Gordon led the way and Scott came to the conclusion that he was never going to be able to learn his way around a ship like this. The cabin they had been in looked exactly the same as the one he had previously bunked in, yet the route Gordon was taking indicated they were at completely the opposite end of the ship. People were milling around in the corridors, some talking in small groups and some working. But the one thing they all had in common was that they all glanced at the two Tracys as they walked past.

"Looks like someone made himself a bit of a legend," Gordon mocked when they finally seemed to be in a deserted part, but Scott shook his head.

"They were watching you. Trust me, their heads turned as you walked past. I was behind you, kiddo, I could see. Looks like someone has made himself a name as a bit of a rebel."

"Thank god for that. I was worried I was losing my touch."

Scott resisted the urge to reach forward and cuff Gordon over the head, but only because he was mindful of the blow his brother had taken the day before. It felt like a lot longer ago than that now. Scott shivered with the thought and if Gordon saw, he didn't say anything. Despite Gordon's optimism, events would be lingering in his mind as well. Scott knew neither of them would ever truly admit to what had been running through their heads when the Hood had caught up with them that last time.

They arrived at the bridge far too quickly for Scott's liking. Gordon dropped back and Scott knew his brother wasn't allowed further. But just as Gordon made to turn, Scott reached out his hand and clasped his arm.

"Wait for me?" he asked softly, the closest thing to a plea that would ever pass his lips. He might have had the piloting skills to become a captain, but Scott was never going to enjoy the formalities that came with it. He would much rather grab a beer and have a casual chat about what had happened rather than trying to stand bolt upright for the whole thing as he knew he was about to do.

Gordon gave him a reassuring smile and nodded.

"Go get 'em, tiger," he muttered, giving Scott a push as if worried that the older man would turn and run. Scott had to wonder if his reluctance was that obvious or whether it was only because Gordon knew him so well. Still, he had no choice but to do what Gordon said. Holding his head high, he moved forward, knowing this was going to be one of the longest times of his life. He even wondered whether he would prefer to take on the Hood again, but then caught himself and banished the thoughts. He knew full well he wouldn't survive another round with the Hood.

Even so, he was completely right in believing that it was going to be a long few hours. He gave his report, and then they seemed to forget about him as they bickered over what needed to be done. From what Scott could make out, the Hood was still on the island but under heavy guard while they waited for a second ship to come and take him to a secure unit. What happened after that, Scott wasn't sure, they seemed to be keeping the details close and not wanting to tell him. All he cared about was that the maniac was locked up and couldn't hurt anyone ever again.

He did, however, find out how they had managed to get to the island in the nick of time. Kevin had accidentally headed straight towards them and had managed to get close enough to be seen before passing out. They had managed to get him revived and on-board in time to get a very quick run-down on what was going on before unconsciousness had claimed him again. They had left him with the medics and set off for the island. By the sounds of it, they hadn't known Scott and Gordon were still alive, but knew the Hood was still out there. It was through sheer luck they had arrived in time to save Scott and Gordon from being killed.

Kevin was being closely monitored, but Scott knew it was not going to be his physical condition that would be the cause for concern. It would be his mental one.

Despite finding the debriefing useful, Scott was still thankful to get out of there. Even with having a small amount of sleep, he could feel his body protesting at him. Luckily, one of the younger officers seemed to see the colour steadily draining from Scott's face and waved him out with a small hand gesture and a nod while everyone argued over what to do with the Hood now.

Scott stumbled out, realising for the first time just how much he wanted to get off this boat and back onto solid land. But movement out of the corner of his eye had him smiling as Gordon unfolded himself from the wall, having been true to his word and stayed there the whole time.

Gordon took one look at his brother's face and shook his head. "You need a drink. Now."

Scott allowed himself to be bundled along again, his mind still spinning from everything that had been spoken about. He only realised where he was when he found himself in a crowded cabin, the rest of Gordon's team surrounding them. Frankie handed them both a mug, and Scott decided it was better to not even ask what was in it. Gordon was watching him expectantly, so Scott simply lifted the mug in a salute and took a large mouthful. He still had no idea what it was as he almost spat it back out again, but judging by the look on the men's faces, he had just passed some sort of test.

Frankie laughed and handed him a beer. Gordon was watching him anxiously, a bottle in his own hand. Scott shrugged and pretended to look the other way. He could play the big brother card when it suited him, but ribbing Gordon about underage drinking now when the guy had just saved his life seemed a little harsh.

MMM

"…and the rest you know from the Commander on board, Sir," Scott finished up. This debriefing had been so much easier than the one on the boat, back on home territory with Commanders Evans and Grigson sitting opposite him. General Hanks was standing in one corner watching the proceedings, but Scott knew he was listening closely.

It had only taken another twenty-four hours until he was back at the base and - judging by the look Tom had given him when he had walked into the barracks - word had already spread about him being shot down. Scott knew if the men at the barracks knew, then so did his family. He only hoped that a second call had been made to inform them that he was alive and well.

To his surprise, Gordon was sent back to the base with him, and Scott had bitten back a smile when they had arrived. Gordon had looked as out of place here as Scott had on the boat, but Tom had promised to keep an eye on the younger Tracy while Scott had been whisked away. Scott wasn't sure whether to be worried or not. Gordon had a glint in his eye he didn't entirely trust and Scott had been forced to hiss a few threats of what would happen if Tom let any stories spill that Scott had no intention of the rest of his family finding out about. Especially not younger siblings with a love for blackmail.

"And the weapon is definitely destroyed? You are sure?"

"Absolutely, Sir. I would be willing to fly that way myself to prove it if it would put your mind at rest."

"That won't be necessary, Scott," Evans cut in, shooting Grigson a look that told him to stay quiet. Out of the corner of his eye, Scott could see Hanks nod in satisfaction before he disappeared out of a side door. The young captain got the feeling he would never see the general again and it didn't bother him in the slightest. If these were the sorts of missions that he was involved with, then Scott would rather stick with what he did best and simply fly.

"What about Kevin?" Scott had been dreading asking, not being sure if he wanted to know if the man could be helped or not. He was keeping it quiet that he had been exposed to the same powers that had made Kevin break. He didn't want to be closely watched every second. Luckily, Gordon had followed his lead and not said anything.

Evans and Grigson looked at each other and Evans' face softened in empathy.

"They've taken him to a good hospital in New York. It's closer to his wife and is known for being the best for psychological damage. We're covering all expenses, of course. The fact he managed to pull himself back means there is no reason why he shouldn't make a full recovery."

Scott felt a weight lifting from him that he wasn't aware had settled.

"And the Hood?" His voice was even quieter this time and Scott felt something coil within him.

Just as quickly as he had softened, Evans had sparks flying from his eyes. "Taken to a secure unit. We are not at liberty to say where, for your own safety."

"But…"

"I know you might want to face him, Scott, but it's too dangerous. We almost lost three men getting him there. It won't bring you any closure, not from a madman like that. Let it go, put him from your mind."

Scott could hear the order in the words and knew if he refused to letter matters go, he would find himself travelling north to join Kevin. He looked at the floor, trying to stop his fists from clenching.

"I want you to take a week of sick leave, Captain," Grigson said softly and Scott stared, his head jerking back up again.

"But Sir…" The medics both here and on the boat had cleared him for being fit for duty and Scott had fully intended to get a good night's sleep and be back with his team come the morning. He wanted nothing more than to put this behind him and he knew skulking around the base with nothing to do would drive him mad.

Evans stood up, rounding the desk he had been sitting at and placing a hand on Scott's arm.

"You are not required to stay at the base if you do not wish it, Scott."

There was a hidden meaning in Evans' words, Scott was sure. He simply frowned at the Commander, trying to figure it out. Evans didn't give him any clues, but his face was grave and his eyes serious. Just like that, Scott knew what he wanted.

"You want me to go home?"

"You've been through a lot, Captain. You need to get away from this. You dealt with a threat your training doesn't cover and we are duty-bound to make sure you are fit for duty and not a liability."

"I'm fine, Sir! I can fly, I can…"

"It wasn't a suggestion, Captain. I will arrange for a transport and a pilot to be waiting for you tomorrow morning. You are to leave this base for at least five days, understood?"

Scott gave a shaky nod, knowing he didn't have a choice. Evans was right - it hadn't been a suggestion, it had been an order. He waited until he was dismissed, then strode from the building.

Once outside, he tilted his head back and breathed in a long breath, the cool night air calming him down. He was torn. Part of him wanted to stay, to prove he was fine and could continue like normal. But the other part of him desperately wanted to go home. He wanted to be around his family, where things _were_ normal and they wouldn't be analysing his every move to see if it was a sign he was cracking up. Evans had a point – training had never covered maniacs with psychic powers and Scott wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to be feeling. He knew they were worried about Kevin - not because of what had physically happened to him, but how much it had messed with his head. Scott hadn't said all that had happened to him personally. But he knew they were worried it was affecting him more than he was letting on.

Gordon saw him coming. Even from where he was standing, Scott could see the frown cross his brother's face. Scott should have known his emotions were playing across his own.

"What happened?" Gordon asked, standing up as he did so. Scott sighed, walking slowly towards him. Tom was there as well, the pair of them had been sitting companionably outside the barracks. Scott felt a rush of gratitude to his friend, glad Gordon hadn't been left waiting alone this whole time. He felt like he had been in there hours, although he knew that couldn't be the case. He held Gordon's gaze for a moment before sighing and running a hand through his hair.

"They want me to go home," he said bluntly.

Gordon watched him for a long moment before frowning.

"And that is a bad thing how?"

"They obviously think that I can't handle being here. I don't want them to think that I'm a liability…"

"Or they could just think you completed a mission that no one else could, nearly got yourself tortured to insanity and that you need a break?"

"I was not nearly tortured to insanity," Scott protested. Gordon, however, just sighed. He seemed to realise that Scott wouldn't be backing down on this.

"Isn't Virg home on a break right now?" he said quietly and suddenly Scott stopped. Gordon was right: Virgil was home. He had a few days off from Denver and had chosen to come home as he knew their grandmother didn't like the house being so empty. Suddenly, going home didn't seem like such a bad idea. But then Scott sighed, looking at Gordon.

"What about you, though? You went through just as much and you can't come with me."

"I can actually," Gordon muttered, shooting Scott a grin. The older brother had a feeling Gordon had been waiting to say this ever since they arrived. "I'm not just here to escort you. I've got a week's suspension before reporting to the training centre. I'm coming home with you, Scott! Can we go now?"

Scott smiled gently at the way Gordon was almost bouncing. It was obvious he was desperate to get home and now he had thought it through rationally, Scott was feeling the same. However, he shook his head gently.

"We'll wait until morning. Apparently we'll have a plane waiting for us."

Gordon simply gave him a look and Scott knew the bitterness in his voice was coming across. Why didn't they understand he was fine to fly? But before either could say anything else, Gordon yawned.

"Come on, I'll find you a bed." Scott moved off, wondering how the day had gone so fast, the sun already setting. He had been in that office for hours, having to recount what had happened time and time again. Gordon looked like he was going to protest, but Tom gave him a shove forward before he could open his mouth.

"Best do as you're told, kid. Captain Tracy can be harsh when his orders aren't obeyed."

Gordon looked faintly impressed and Scott rolled his eyes at his friend before walking off, knowing Gordon was following him.

"Watch it or I'll have you doing laps before dawn," he called teasingly over his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, Scott could see Tom saluting him, but as he turned around a little further, his friend flipped him off as he lowered his hand and Scott grinned. He knew his friend would want to know what had happened, especially considering he was partly responsible for Scott ending up in the situation in the first place. But he also knew that Tom wouldn't ask until Scott himself brought it up in conversation and was ready to talk.

"Hey, Scott?" Gordon's soft call brought him back to the here and now and Scott glanced sideways at his brother as he led him through the dark. "Are you going to tell them what the Hood did to you?"

"They don't need to know," Scott muttered, his voice tense. He didn't need to ask to know who Gordon meant: their family. He could vaguely see Gordon nodding and knew that his brother wouldn't say anything. But he also had a feeling that - being the only one who knew - Gordon would find a way to keep an eye on him. Scott knew that when they got home, he was going to have Gordon following him in a way he had never experienced before, even with four younger brothers.

But for now, he led the way across to the barracks. Squadrons stayed together, each room sleeping between six to eight men. But there were some empty ones at the end of the corridor, available to any guests that might turn up. Scott thumbed in the code for the door and led the way along to the first available room.

"Will you stay?"

Despite everything they had just been through, Gordon sounded young and vulnerable in that moment. Scott was nodding before he had even thought about the request.

"Of course." It was moments like this that reminded him that technically, Gordon wasn't even old enough to have been going out on missions, let alone experience something like this. Scott shut the door softly behind them and watched as Gordon perched on one of the beds. Biting back a laugh, Scott couldn't help but think that his brother really did look like a fish out of water and he sat down next to him.

"You okay?"

"I think so. It's just… I can't quite get my head around everything that just happened, you know? Not even a week ago we were moaning about having to take the ship out when we all wanted to test the new subs. And now..?"

"You'll be okay, Gords," Scott responded soothingly, slinging an arm around Gordon's shoulders. He knew out of all the brothers, Gordon was the one who sought out physical contact the most.

Gordon sighed and nodded. "I know. It's just going to be weird going home after having seen that."

"And I'll be right beside you the whole time. Get some sleep, kiddo."

Scott nudged Gordon over until he was lying down, but continued to sit next to his brother. If he was honest, he had been thinking the same thing. But he knew the one thing that would get him through it was knowing that Gordon needed him there.

Scott simply sat there, his hand resting comfortingly on Gordon's shoulder. Eventually, the younger man began to drift off to sleep, yet still Scott stayed where he was. He only moved when he was sure that Gordon was fast asleep. As soon as that was the case, he quietly got up and slipped out of the door, making sure that he left it open slightly to hear if Gordon should stir. It was a brotherly instinct; he needed to be with Gordon. But while all was quiet, Scott sighed and pulled out his phone. He quickly found a well-known number, his heart pounding as he waited for someone to pick up on the other end. It was late, but he knew there would still be someone up. Finally, the phone connected.

"Dad? It's me…"


	12. Chapter 12

_And here we are, the last chapter. Thank you so much to those of you who have stuck with me throughout this and taken the time to let me know what you think. I really appreciate it._

 _As usual, a massive thank you to Bee for trawling through all of my mistakes and helping me to make sense of this. Thank you!_

 _Hope you like this last chapter._

* * *

Gordon was not used to having to sit still and the flight back to Kansas was painful because of it. He knew the only reason Scott hadn't snapped at him to stop moving was because the older brother was just as wound up. He hated being in a plane but not flying it himself. Gordon was convinced it was only because it was Tom and another man from Scott's squadron piloting that his brother had even got on the plane. He wouldn't have put it past Scott to insist on walking home just to make the point that he was fine. The Tracy stubbornness was present in all five brothers as well as their father, after all.

When Scott was barred from the cockpit, Gordon wondered how long would pass until Tom gave his brother a parachute and kicked him out completely.

But it meant Scott hadn't noticed Gordon's nerves. Once he had convinced his father that going to college before signing up would be a waste of time, Gordon knew the man had been proud of him. But he hadn't told his father his training had been advanced. He hadn't wanted his dad worrying that he was out on missions already. The fact that he wouldn't be allowed to go if his commander hadn't deemed him capable didn't matter. He knew his father had thought him too young to sign up in the first place. Gordon wasn't sure what his reactions would be about his second youngest being out in the field already.

"Hey." Scott's voice snapped him from his thoughts and Gordon forced a smile onto his face as his brother came to sit down next to him.

"They not thrown you overboard yet?"

"We're not on a boat, Gords."

"You know what I mean."

"What's wrong?"

Gordon stared at his brother before suddenly shaking his head with a more genuine smile. He should have realised that Scott would notice that something was troubling him.

He shrugged. "Working out how to tell Dad I was on the mission when I still should be in the barracks." It didn't matter he was a grown man. The need to please his father still took precedence. It always had – it was one of the drawbacks of being a younger brother with three talented older siblings setting the bar so high.

"Why would he be worried about that? You are in WASP."

"He said I was too young."

"He changed his mind though, didn't he?"

Gordon nodded. After the initial arguments, his father had come round to his way of thinking. College would have been pointless; he wasn't academic. His strengths rested elsewhere.

Gordon rubbed a hand over his face before glancing at Scott. "How come he didn't give you this sort of grief when you signed up?"

"I did college first, I had longer to think about what I wanted to do. You know he will always worry about us being out in the field. John might be following in Dad's footsteps but that doesn't mean he won't freak when Johnny leaves the planet for the first time. He's our Dad, he's supposed to worry. That doesn't mean he isn't proud, Gords."

"I guess." Gordon didn't know how to say what was going through his mind. He knew Scott was right – their father was their father, he was never going to not worry. But Gordon didn't want to admit to the incidents that had led to him skipping a year. He knew he wouldn't have been able to keep it quiet once he was out in the field on a regular basis, though. He might have been able to bend the truth, but he had never been able to lie outright to his dad.

"If it helps, he knows you saved my life," Scott said quietly and Gordon stared at him.

"You told him I was on a mission?"

"What was I supposed to do, pretend I just bumped into you?"

Gordon laughed at the incredulity in Scott's voice. His brother was right. He was being stupid. There was no point worrying over something that had already happened. It wasn't as if his dad had the power to pull him out of the military, nor would he want to when he saw how well it was suiting him. He wasn't being fair on his dad; he would never try and take this away from him.

"Buckle up, Squirt. We're about to come in to land."

"Call me that again and I'll show you why I was pushed forward a year," Gordon grumbled, but did as he was told. If he was honest, the sooner he got off this plane the better. He just wanted to get home and let his week of leave (it was better than calling it suspension) begin so he could relax. Once they were at home, he would have other brothers to help keep an eye on Scott. Alan would be up for the challenge even though Gordon had no intention of telling the youngest Tracy why he was worried.

Finally, the plane landed and the brothers were bundled into a waiting car. Gordon had to hand it to the Air Force. When they said they wanted someone to go home, they certainly made sure they got there. Either that or they didn't trust Scott to actually go. The thought made Gordon snort in amusement and Scott gave him an alarmed look. Gordon smiled charmingly back, knowing Scott would believe he was planning something. Considering how annoying Scott had been the whole flight home, Gordon had no qualms about making him sweat for an hour or so.

Neither of them spoke as the car sped along, too lost in their own thoughts. Gordon wondered what they had been told. Scott had put their minds at rest about him not being dead, but it would have been hard for the family dealing with even the possibility. Finally, the car pulled into a familiar road and Gordon sank back into the seat with a sigh as he watched the house come into view. A year suddenly felt far too long.

Scott got the car to stop further up the road. They both wanted to stretch their legs, even if it was just for a few steps before they reached the house. Gordon breathed in deeply, a smile crossing his face as the two brothers glanced at each other and began walking down the road side by side.

Gordon could have sworn the road grew with each step they took, for it seemed to take an age before they were at their own driveway. Before he knew what he was doing, he had paused, letting Scott stride ahead. The older brother didn't notice until after he had knocked on the door, only to turn and see that Gordon was still several paces behind.

"Gords?"

Gordon simply shook his head, not able to put into words what was going through his head. He hadn't realised how much he had missed home until he was standing in front of it again. To think he might have never seen the house, or his family, again if the Hood had his way…

But then the door was open and Scott was in their grandmother's arms before he had turned back around.

"Gordon! Darling, come here."

Gordon knew he couldn't refuse but realised his mistake when his grandmother pulled him in as well. Both he and Scott winced, attempting to breathe and hug the old lady back without hugging each other in the process. They were there for each other when the times needed it, but when they were standing on their own front porch, hugging was not something the Tracy brothers would be seen doing!

"Mom, I think you're killing them," a gentle voice interrupted. Gordon suddenly felt himself overcome with emotion when a hand landed on his shoulder. He managed to wriggle free of his grandmother's hold and before he knew what was happening, he had locked eyes with his father. Just like that, everything that had happened didn't matter. They were home.

"Dad." Gordon's voice was almost a sob. He knew they had been safe since WASP had arrived to save them. But only now his father was in front of him did Gordon let himself believe it. An arm looped around his shoulders and Gordon didn't think he had ever been hugged so fiercely by his father in that moment. He returned it with equal intensity for a few moments.

Scott stepped forward.

"Time to return the favour and save you?" he muttered, a hand on both Gordon's and their father's shoulders as he gently drew them apart. Jeff grinned, ruffling Scott's hair before clapping his hand down on his shoulder. Gordon drew himself away and watched as the man looked his eldest up and down. Gordon still hadn't worked out what Scott had told him about what had happened, but it was obvious that Jeff knew enough to know they had been hurt.

"Where's Virg?" Scott asked. Gordon saw his father frown. The man's glance back at the stairs indicated it wasn't Scott favouring one leg that had him looking like that. But as his father opened his mouth, another voice cut in.

"Did you really save his life?"

Alan stood there with a less than impressed look on his face and his arms folded across his chest. He knew by that stance it didn't matter what had happened; Alan hadn't forgiven him for leaving home. Gordon grinned. It was nice to know some things hadn't changed; Alan could hold a grudge better than even the Hood.

The redhead nodded seriously. "He was about to eat something poisonous. Turns out the Air Force teach them to fly, not feed. Who would have thought?"

"Come on, in with you all before you catch chills." Grandma ushered them through the door. Gordon stepped back to let his father go in first and found himself shoulder to shoulder with Scott. Just before they made it through the door, Scott stopped and put a hand on Gordon's shoulder. Gordon grinned and nodded.

Words were not needed. Alan could never find out precisely what had happened. Neither could their grandmother – if they could get away it. Their father already knew from Scott's phone-call and Gordon was sure John and Virgil knew most of the story by now. But the family members they could protect, they would. Gordon took a step, believing their silent conversation was over but Scott's grip tightened.

"Gords, whatever story we tell them, whatever we say, I want you to know…"

"I know, Scotty. And I'd do it again, even if it means going against orders. Just like I know you would do it for me. You don't need to say it, big brother, I know."

"Who's saying what? Grandma says to get your asses in because you are letting out all the hot air."

"I seriously doubt those were her precise words, Sprout," Scott muttered, draping his arm around Alan's shoulder before pulling him into a headlock as he bundled him into the house. Gordon stood where he was and smiled.

It was good to be home.

Finally, he stepped through the door and almost tripped over Alan's shoes. Nudging them to one side, he realised how used to life in the military he had become. He had been as messy as Alan when he left home, but the strict discipline had changed that. He wondered if it would last now he was home.

Gordon kept the smile as he quietly shut the door and followed the noise into the house.

He didn't quite make it as far as the lounge, despite hearing that was where the others were. Instead, a voice called him softly to one side and Gordon gaped.

"What are you doing here?" he moved forward with a grin, clasping arms for a moment with John.

"We were told Scott was dead. Turns out he isn't, but I'm still here." John grinned as he stepped out of the shadows, his hands landing on Gordon's shoulders, holding him at arm's length so he could check him over. Gordon put up with it for a moment. John had thought Scott was dead. It was only fair to let him reassure himself. Eventually though, Gordon sighed and wriggled free.

"Check Scott over if you want to check anyone. He's the one whose brain got fried." Gordon froze as he realised what he had said, but John just watched him steadily.

That would be implying Scott had a brain there to fry," John murmured in response and Gordon relaxed. Something told him that John would somehow find out the full story whether they meant to tell him or not. But for now, he was letting the matter be.

"Besides, I don't have big brother status over him, only you. So that means you have to do what I say."

"I highly doubt you'll get him to do that." Scott had heard the noise and come to investigate. "It's good to see you, man." They clasped arms in the same manner John and Gordon had done. It was John's equivalent of a hug and although it looked understated, each brother knew precisely how much it meant.

"You too. And what did you mean?"

"Gordy here doesn't listen to orders even when they come from a commander. I doubt we stand any chance now."

"Does that mean you'll give up trying?" Gordon asked hopefully as they all moved through to the lounge. Scott gave him a sideways look.

"What do you think?"

"I think I could probably get a few stories out of Tom that would at least make you think about trying to tell me what to do, Captain."

John grinned, but his smile faded when he saw the look on Scott's face.

"He's joking, right?"

Scott slowly shook his head, watching his little brother shrewdly and Gordon's own grin widened.

"When it comes to Gordon here, John, I think I've learnt to never underestimate him."

There would have been a time that those words were meant as a joke and nothing more. But Gordon knew this time that Scott meant them and - coming from his big brother - nothing could be higher praise.

TBTBTB

Scott perched on the edge of the sofa as he watched Gordon. He was telling Alan about something, but Scott didn't care what. He was content just to watch his brother fooling around, knowing how close he had come to never seeing that again. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, pressing his palms against his eyes with a small groan as the image of the Hood holding Gordon at gunpoint once again swam in front of his vision. He cleared his throat, shook his head and tried to rid himself of the image. By the time he looked back up again, both Gordon and John were watching him. He forced a smile onto his face, excused himself and headed out of the lounge.

As great as it was watching Gordon and reassuring himself that he was alive and well, Gordon wasn't the brother that Scott needed right now. How Virgil hadn't heard them come home, he had no idea. There was also the look on his dad's face when he had asked. He had waited long enough. Taking the stairs two at a time, Scott was surprised he couldn't hear anything coming from Virgil's room. Normally if the artist was ignoring what was happening in the rest of the house, it was because he was composing or at the very least listening to music. A soft knock later and Scott pushed open the door. His surprise only increased when Virgil's room was empty.

A noise from behind him made him turn, only to see his father coming out of the bathroom. Jeff saw where he was standing and grimaced.

"He's not here. I've barely seen him since we first got the call informing us you were MIA. When he is here, he's like a shadow, Scott. I don't think you realise how hard it hit him knowing you could have been killed."

Scott nodded. Out of all of his brothers, Virgil would have taken it the hardest. He made to take a step towards the stairs when he froze, an unpleasant thought coming into his head.

"He does know I'm fine, right? That I'm home?"

"I've told him. Repeatedly. When you called last night, I instantly told the others that I had spoken to you and you were very much alive. But Virgil… I'm not sure how much it sunk in. It's like he is in shock but every time I turn around, he has gone again. I'd only just got back when you arrived earlier, I've been out looking for him for hours."

"I know where he would have gone," Scott muttered. His tone was quiet, but certain. He knew the _exact_ spot that Virgil would have gone to seek refuge; it was the same place that he had been going for years.

Scott took the stairs two at a time and ran down the street. He vaulted over a fence and jogged out into a field, slowing his pace when he came closer to Virgil's hideout. Virgil had known before the rest of the family that Scott had been leaving for a mission. Scott hadn't been able to give details, but Virgil had known he was going to do something dangerous. Scott himself had felt like he had been calling to say goodbye… He shuddered at how Virgil would have reacted to the call saying he had been shot down.

It didn't take him long to cross the field and reach a scattering of trees on the far side. He moved into the shade, but didn't go far. He didn't need to. For curled up in the roots of an old oak, with a sketch pad balanced on his knees, was Virgil.

Scott simply stood there for a moment and watched. He had never been homesick, not when leaving for college or joining the Air Force. But realising how close he had come to never coming home again made him realise how much he had missed this place. Missed his family. He still knew his brother well, though. Scott knew the pad hadn't opened the whole time that Virgil had been out here. It was his excuse for being there, but it wasn't the reason behind it.

"Virg?" His call was soft and Scott had to smile at the way Virgil instantly reacted to it. It was as if the tension left his body and he seemed to sag. He didn't look around though and Scott wasn't entirely sure Virgil had truly realised who he had heard.

"Go 'way, Scott, I'm not coming in."

"I think you are when you realise what you just said." Scott leant against a tree, his arms folded and his mouth turned up in a smirk. He should have known that something like this would happen. It was just so typical of Virgil to be talking to him without realising that was what he was doing. The smirk slipped from Scott's face as he realised this was potentially not the first time Virgil had thought that he was answering his brother. Who knew what tricks Virgil's mind had been playing on him if he hadn't accepted what their father had said about Scott being alive?

"I'm not…"

Scott raised his eyebrows this time as Virgil's voice trailed off. Very slowly, the younger man got to his feet, refusing to turn around. He was moving with deliberate movements, but Scott just stood there and waited. It was almost excruciating how long it took Virgil to turn around but Scott smiled softly when his brother finally looked at him.

"Coming in? I think you will when you see what Grandma has been making."

"Scotty?"

"Hey, Virg."

"What… what the hell are you doing here?"

"Trying to find you! What are you doing out here? Told you that I was going to be fine." Scott tried to keep his voice even as he stared at Virgil. He wished Virgil hadn't come home, hadn't been the one to pick up the phone when he had called the first time around. He wished he could have saved Virgil the suffering of knowing he was going into something that he potentially wouldn't be coming home from.

"Scott…" Virgil slowly took a step forward and Scott grinned, stepping away from the tree.

"Hi." He said softly, only to duck as Virgil suddenly swung for him. "What are you doing?"

"You swore to me! You swore when you joined up that you would never put me in the same position we were in with Mom! You swore you would never leave me waiting to find out if you were alive or dead. How long have you known you were alive for?"

"Um…. _What?_ "

"How long have you been in contact for?"

"Virg, I called last night. Dad told you I was alive, I know he did. I spoke to him as soon as I got back to base. Someone had to give Grandma the heads-up that I was bringing Gordon with me."

"Gordon? Why the hell were you bringing Gordon home?"

Scott flinched and Virgil's eyes widened. "He was with you? He went on that mission with you? He's not old enough!"

"Don't remind him, he's already having to explain to Dad that he skipped a year of training. And besides, that's not the point. I didn't know that he was going to be there until he almost got himself arrested thinking they were talking about him when they were talking about me."

"You got Gordon arrested?"

"No, stop twisting my words and… Now where are you going?"

"To see Gordon," Virgil responded haughtily and continued to walk off across the field. Scott stared after him in disbelief before realising that Virgil's sketch pad was still on the ground. Scott scooped down and picked it up, idly letting it fall open as he did so. The first drawing made him stop, staring. He knew that Virgil was good, but he could have been looking in the mirror. Virgil's drawing of him was beyond perfect, and Scott suddenly realised he had been wrong. The pad hadn't been closed the whole time. Instead, Virgil had been pouring everything he felt into this drawing, finding a way of making Scott come back to him. A way of making Scott seem alive, just in case something had gone wrong.

It was only with that realisation that Scott understood quite what Virgil had gone through the last few days. He tucked the book under his arm and sprinted after him. He caught up as Virgil reached the fence, making him appreciate how fast his brother had been walking. He couldn't blame him, no doubt it had come as a surprise to hear that Gordon had been involved as well. It was bad enough worrying about an older brother (Scott imagined, not actually knowing himself), but to find out a younger was also involved must have been a blow.

Knowing that words weren't working with Virgil, Scott ran until he was standing in front of his brother. He wordlessly handed Virgil his book back and watched as Virgil refused to meet his eyes for a long moment, focusing his gaze on the pad and that alone. Virgil's fingers slowly tightened around the binding as he took it from his brother.

"Scott…"

Scott reached into his pocket, his fingers curling around the smooth pebble resting in there. How it was still there, he didn't know. But through everything, the small stone had somehow remained in his possession. The Hood hadn't found it, and it had had miraculously stayed put during their escape. Scott had forgotten about it, too focused on getting Gordon to safety to think about keepsakes. He had found it in his pocket just before they left the boat. He could have lost it, could have lost everything that he held dear on that island. And yet, somehow, everything had come back to him.

Without saying a word, he balanced it on the book.

Virgil's eyes focused on it for a long moment before he slowly looked up at Scott. Scott smiled, not being precisely sure what Virgil needed from in that moment, whether Virgil just needed to come to terms with everything in his own time. What Scott wasn't expecting, however, was for Virgil to slowly pick up the stone and press it back into his hand - before thumping his brother in the arm when Scott wasn't looking.

"What was that one for?" Scott cried in exasperation.

"For making me wait," Virgil scowled, but his eyes were beginning to sparkle a little. The book was tucked under his arm as he jumped the fence and Scott hurried to catch up. The two Tracys fell into step as they headed back up the road and Scott grinned when Virgil bumped their shoulders together. He knew that was his brother's way of saying that he was glad Scott was back.

Scott opened the door quietly, standing back to let his brother in first. John was once again waiting for them in the hallway and Scott had a feeling he had been watching out of the window. Judging by the look on his face, Scott knew John had been aware where Virgil was all along. Their father might not know Virgil's hiding places, but his big brothers did, they always had done. But John had known Virgil wouldn't respond to him. Not this time. Virgil had needed Scott.

Virgil slipped past John, heading to the lounge and sinking into the sofa. There was an instant hush before Gordon, from his position leaning against the wall, carried on talking as if nothing had happened. Scott knew the two brothers would have just given each other a look that spoke volumes, indicating that Virgil was wanting the whole story when they had the chance. He didn't ask now and Scott knew he wouldn't, not with Alan present.

He followed him in, John on his heels. Catching his father's eye on the way in, he grinned and nodded. Virgil was fine now he knew his brothers were safe. John casually tipped Alan out of a seat and took it for himself and Scott moved towards the only seat left. Gordon moved at the same time and both brothers froze, glancing at each other before looking at the seat then again at each other. Scott took a small step forward, as did Gordon. He was aware of the whole room watching them as they both edged forward again. But then Scott stopped.

He caught Gordon's eye and grinned before making the point of sitting on the floor. Gordon looked astonished until Scott shrugged. What else could he do; his brother had saved his life. Giving up a seat was nothing. The military might be insisting the whole mission was kept quiet, meaning that Scott couldn't thank Gordon officially. If he couldn't do it that way, he would just have to do it through smaller things like this.

Gordon took the seat, and after a split second swung his feet up to rest on Scott's shoulders. The elder brother instantly shoved them off.

"Don't push it."

Gordon looked like he was about to make some sort of comeback, but then he grinned and settled back. Leaning against the sofa, Scott sighed as he looked around him. Who knew when the family was next going to be together like this again? He just wished it hadn't almost cost both him and Gordon their lives in order for it to happen.

As he watched Alan unsuccessfully try and reclaim his seat from John, Scott smiled.

He was going to make sure it didn't come to that again.

But for now, he knew he was home and everyone was safe.

Mission accomplished.


End file.
